Imaginings of You
by Lioneh
Summary: ‘Since the day we met, we’ve always been trying to decipher one another. Whether it be mere ideas to flat out assumptions, we were always analysing thoughts, ideas, dreams of who we were…I never expected what I found.’ Eventual GenesisxCissnei.
1. Formalities

Title: 'Imaginings of You'  
Chapter: Introduction ~  
Characters: Focuses on Genesis Rhapsodos and Cissnei, along with a few other memorable characters having minor roles (such as Zack, Sephiroth, etc.)  
Pairings: GenesisxCissnei, or as I call it, Genesisnei. Or GenCiss. Whatever floats your boat ~  
Time: Before Crisis Core to Final Fantasy VII as the original.  
Genre(s): Romance, friendship and possible angst in the future ~ Yup, my three favourites all in one xD;  
Status: On-going for now ~

A/N: Hooray! I'm actually starting a long term Genesisnei fan fiction! The poor fandom of these two is so tiny, and even if the chances of this actually happening are slim, I still think it's really cute. I even have a plan for this story - it's truly shocking, considering I _hate_ planning anything. -faint- It's not finished, but enough to cover at least ten chapters I'm hoping. I've written the first two, and am hoping for some feedback on what people think.

Anyway, without future adieu, I shall let you read! I hope you enjoy it - and I promise, there'll be more cute stuff in the second chapter. ;D Have fun!

Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei and anything else relating to Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

'_Imaginings of you' _- Introduction

Formalities  
-------------------------------------------------------

She flipped open the standard ShinRa PHS with a click.

'_Incoming call - Tseng.'_

Stifling a yawn, Cissnei of the Turks took the final sip of her coffee and carefully placed the styrofoam cup in the lobby bin beside herself. Feeling the caffeine awaken her senses, she placed the PHS beside her ear, saying a quick hello to her supervisor.

"New assignment." A blunt male voice murmured through the speaker of her phone.

"Spit it out." She replied, fingering some of her chestnut curls out of boredom.

"Cissnei, we're sending you on an investigation trip near Icicle Inn to inquire into some of the recent monster outbreaks that have been going on. The harsh conditions and seriousness of this task require us to send one of the SOLDIER operatives with you."

"Mmhm," Cissnei replied, "so when do you want me, Tseng?"

"Now, preferably. You are to meet at the SOLDIER floor. Director Lazard will give you further instructions."

"Got it." Cissnei sighed, lifting herself up from the chair within the lobby of the ShinRa headquarters. She made her way over towards the elevator, storing her sleek mobile phone back in her pocket. After keying in the number for her personal identification whilst having her other finger scanned, the screen next to the elevator flashed 'recognised user: Cissnei'. She walked briskly into the elevator, folding her arms to her chest as the doors glided closed. _Hmm…taking orders from the _SOLDIER_ director? How strange. _

As the floor numbers slowly ticked upwards, the young female member of the Turks waited patiently to reach her destination. She shivered, finding it uncomfortable to be confined in such a small room that was suspended on long cables. At last, the familiar ring of the elevator signalled the doors to slide open, allowing Cissnei to step out into the foyer of the 49th floor, more commonly known as the SOLDIER floor. Delicately, she stepped over towards the briefing room, expecting that to be where the Director was waiting for her. She passed a few other lower ranking members of SOLDIER on her way, making her mind begin to wonder who exactly was escorting her on this particular mission.

Cissnei passed through a few more sliding doors, finding herself contained with a room that had a large projector screen and several desks lined up with computers.

"Ah, Cissnei. I was expecting you." Lazard, Director of SOLDIER, spun around in his chair to face the member of the Turks, giving her a professional smile.

"Director." She said, offering a nod in Lazard's direction. He motioned for her to take a seat, pulling out the chair of the closest desk as general courtesy. She obliged and sat down in the office chair, turning to face the computer screen in front of her. Across from her desk she could see another figure who hunched over in his seat, making it difficult to see who she was looking at.

"Okay, now that everyone's here, let's begin. Shall we?" Lazard said briskly, tapping a key on his computer screen to reveal the icy wastelands surrounding Icicle Inn on the large projector screen. Cissnei turned her head to look, seeing some footage from one of ShinRa's surveillance machines that had been installed in the area. "We've received reports from Icicle Inn that there have been sightings of severely mutated animals that seem to have come from one of our retired mako excavation facilities."

Concluding this statement, Lazard tapped a few more times on his keyboard, bringing up some footage of what kinds of monsters that the SOLDIER and Turk would be expecting. "Citizens have been sending numerous complaints to our ShinRa representatives and have thus reduced their confidence in our services. Your task is find the source of the problem and eliminate it, depending on the current situation. We'll have further reinforcements on standby in case things take a turn for the worse. Any questions?"

Both the SOLDIER operative and Cissnei shook their heads, taking in the orders quiet well considering that the task may have required more than one day in the frigid conditions.

"If you would, please," Lazard motioned towards the SOLDIER who sat across from Cissnei. He abruptly stood up, returning the chair towards it's correct position under the desk as he stepped around to introduce himself. Cissnei looked up as a young man with silky chestnut hair and familiar glowing mako eyes stepped over to her, a content expression on his face.

"Genesis Rhapsodos." He said quietly, putting out a gloved hand towards her.

"I'm Cissnei." She smiled, shaking his hand slightly.

"Now, the nature of this task probably requires a few nights stay in the local inn, which the company will cover you both for. I shouldn't worry too much about casualties, considering the fact that we're sending a 1st Class SOLDIER and an exceptional Turk on the job." Lazard spoke with a professional tone, motioning towards Genesis and Cissnei. She smiled slightly, feeling privileged to be sent somewhere with the one of the highest ranking members of SOLDIER.

"You're due to leave on this assignment tomorrow morning, so make use of the time between now and then to prepare yourselves. You are both dismissed." Lazard waved a hand, leaving Genesis and Cissnei to attend to their own personal matters before leaving. The redheaded SOLDIER made his way towards the door with Cissnei following behind, pausing to let the Turk though first.

"After you." Genesis smirked, stepping to the side in order to let Cissnei pass.

"Thanks." Cissnei replied with a slight giggle, making her way through the automated sliding door. _Heh…chivalry isn't dead after all._

* * *

Stepping out onto one of ShinRa's many helipads, a cold Cissnei hugged herself as she felt the chilly wind whipping her hair behind her back. She was finding it difficult to imagine what the conditions in Icicle Inn would be like, considering how cold she was feeling now. Looking up, she saw two infantrymen from the army climbing into the helicopter, causing her expression to change to one of surprise.

"Don't worry. These guys won't be in our way." A silky voice interrupted her train of thought as Genesis Rhapsodos stepped up beside her, looking down at her with a slight smile.

"Mmhm." Cissnei nodded in response, trying not to get distracted by the SOLDIER beside her. _I've got to stay focused…_

"Ready?" He questioned, motioning to her with his hand. Cissnei quickly looked up with a nod, and swiftly made her way towards the helicopter's front section whilst trying to ignore the spinning blades. She turned around just before opening the entrance to the cockpit, seeing Genesis following behind, walking towards the rear section.

"Someone's got to brief these guys, huh?" He said with a hint of cheek, opening up the hatchway with the press of a button on the helicopter's side. Cissnei smiled out of his attitude, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from his as she let herself into the co-pilot's seat. _Why can't I stop looking at him…?_

* * *

"Prepare for landing, everyone." The helicopter's pilot spoke briefly into his headset's microphone, adjusting the controls to send the machine into descent.

"Roger." Came the response from both SOLDIER and Turk as the helicopter lurched in motion, the blades slicing through the chilly air that surrounded the northern continent.

Adjusting her headset, Cissnei wriggled about in the co-pilot seat and peered out through the foggy window, gazing at the snow-topped mountains that lined the distance. Unexpectedly she smiled to herself - she'd never actually seen so much real snow before. This was her first time off the actual continent that Midgar was situated in - and surprisingly, she was enjoying every minute of it. Despite her strict upbringing within the ShinRa company a pleasant tinge of childhood giddiness surrounded her heart; after all, she was only fifteen and already seeing the world.

As the helicopter descended, the young Turk braced herself through the machine's movements, seeing the ground inching closer and closer. _Hold on - it's not snowy enough here…this isn't Icicle Inn, is it?_

Seconds later the helicopter touched down, the whirring of the blades slowing down evenly as Cissnei removed her headset and gave the pilot a questioning look.

"We're taking a moment to refuel in Bone Village, miss," he said politely in regards to her expression. Cissnei twitched her mouth in annoyance to the term 'miss', even if it did fit her martial status.

"If the time is available, would we be allowed to take a breather? We've been airborne for three hours." Cissnei requested earnestly, her hand already unfastening her seat restrains and heading for the door.

"You and that SOLDIER are the leaders," the pilot mumbled with a shrug, checking the helicopter was properly prepared for being refuelled. "We're taking a few minutes to refuel," he spoke clearly into his headset, making sure it was projecting to the back compartment of the helicopter where both SOLDIER member and infantrymen were located.

With a slight nod, Cissnei gratefully swung the door open and stepped down onto the rocky grounds around the small village. Seconds later the hatchway glided open and ShinRa army troops quickly stepped out, followed by none other than Genesis who shut the large, horizontal door behind them.

"You two," Genesis motioned towards the two infantrymen, "use the town's facilities if absolutely necessary, but stay on guard after that. Understood?"

"Sir!" They both replied quickly, each attending to their own needs. With a sigh, the SOLDIER took a moment to stretch, letting an audible yawn escape his lips before relaxing again. Cissnei did the same, glad to be out of the confined cockpit.

"Want to, um," Cissnei said awkwardly, glancing up at him, "take a quick look in town?"

"Certainly," he smiled slightly, patting his thigh to make sure his sword was secured properly in its sheath. It took Cissnei less than a second to realise that there was no need for her to retrieve her shuriken from it's position behind her co-pilot's seat, considering she was under the protection of a well respected 1st Class.

Without another thought she quickly trotted up beside him, feeling safe and secure as they began to make their way through some of the overgrowth that bordered the town.

"So," Cissnei said quietly as Genesis picked his way over some uneven ground. He turned back to face her for a moment.

"Feeling alright?" He asked absently, turning his face forward again.

"Yeah," she said politely, following his lead.

"Been out here before?" He inquired with curiosity, kicking aside a few pebbles as they came onto the main path.

"No, actually…" Cissnei trailed off, "I suppose you have, considering you're a SOLDIER."

"A few times," he replied casually, turning his head to catch sight of her as she caught up. "You new as a Turk? Rumour has it you're the youngest ever, you know."

_It really got around that quickly? ShinRa staff must gossip a lot…_ Cissnei mused, shyly putting her hands behind her back.

"Yeah. They inducted me a few months ago. I…" she paused, thinking whether or not to reveal what she was about to say. "Well, I was raised by ShinRa. They spent a lot of time training me as I grew up."

Genesis looked down at her with a hint of astonishment. "Really?" He asked out of impulse, "…that must be kind of tough. I was fortunate as a child…my parents were the landlords of where I came from. Banora."

"I never knew my family." Cissnei said indifferently, shrugging it off. "At least I've got a future ahead of me."

"Mm." Genesis said thoughtfully, his hand shoved in his pocket. The sight of Bone Village came into view rather quickly, great piles of excavated bones and various fossils scattered around the few tents that comprised the village. "Pretty dismal."

"I guess that's just their way of life." Cissnei said matter-of-factly, "if they're happy, then it's perfectly fine."

Genesis paused, surprised to hear an opinion contrasting to his own. _Hmm. She reminds me of Angeal…so different yet admirable…_

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess…"_ he mumbled under his breath, absently thinking about the words of the Turk as they both wandered into the main section of town. Over to their left was a small building, part of it still somewhat under construction. To their right was a steep incline of rock that was clearly under excavation, as parts of a much larger structure jutted out randomly from the sides.

A rough man with a hardhat on emerged from the building, wiping some sweat off his brow. His gaze sharpened as he saw the two members of ShinRa approaching, clearly trying to identify their purpose.

"Excuse me," Genesis inquired smoothly, "any places around that sell items or provisions?"

"I'd be expectin' so," the man said with a slight accent, stepping forward, "or we'd be havin' no way of life around here! Jus' though that entrance an' there's a couple of local traders."

Genesis nodded at the man and stepped into the doorway, lifting up a sheet as he entered. Cissnei mouthed a polite 'thank you' as she followed through, a musty smell entering her nose as she did so. Despite the construction work that was going on further in, a few people had set up makeshift trading areas to conduct business with both other locals and foreigners alike.

"Man…" Genesis said, coughing slightly as he waved some sawdust away. Cissnei nodded in sympathy, clearing her throat of dusty fumes. The SOLDIER and Turk sidled along to a table that had small towers of cans and other long lasting food supplies, along with a few different kinds of fresh produce.

Genesis felt a warm smile creep onto his face as he saw two purple apples with a few other fruits, gently picking one up.

"Apple season again." He mused, fumbling around in his pocket for gil. Cissnei eyed the strangely coloured apple with curiosity as Genesis paid for it, watching him take a satisfied bite.

"Banora White," he mumbled between nibbles, "or dumbapple. Whichever suits."

Deciding not to question him now, Cissnei took her fancy to a small can of spaghetti and quickly purchased it, politely taking a plastic fork off the bench's side and thanking the vendor's owner. Once outside again, the two took a seat on a rather hefty rock and indulged in their snacks, glad to enjoy a minute before heading back.

"I've never seen an apple that colour before." Cissnei wondered as she pried the lid off the can, setting it down next to her.

"You never see them much outside of Banora. My parents never told me they'd started exporting this far out," Genesis replied, taking another bite into the purple skin. "They're a type of apple that only grow in Banora and have a strange habit of blooming…whenever they like, actually. Normally we would call them 'Banora Whites', but locals like me call them 'dumbapples' for a joke."

"I see," Cissnei said, concentrating as she tried to get a decent amount of pasta onto her fork. "Next time I ought to try them."

"You should," Genesis replied quickly, smiling proudly. The Turk giggled slightly, shoving a fork-full of spaghetti into her mouth. For the next few minutes they enjoyed the odd silence that came with being so far away from Midgar, finishing off their rather undignified lunch and taking in their new surroundings.

"Shall we be off?" Genesis smirked, slowly standing up.

"Ready when you are." Cissnei said, discarding her can remains into a rundown bin.

Both ShinRa operatives headed back down the makeshift path, lost in their own thoughts until a low toned growl interrupted both of them. Streaking out of the woods came a pack of three wolf-like monsters, the leader snarling and spitting at the intruders. Cissnei felt her heart leap into her throat as she tried to suppress her fear as Genesis immediately drew his crimson rapier from his coat, tensing his muscles as he focused on their opponents.

"Bandersnatches," he hissed, his eyes darting to the side to see Cissnei hurriedly checking whatever materia she had on her person. _She didn't bring her weapon, did she…_

"Stay out of the way, " he whispered quickly, much to Cissnei's displeasure.

"I'm not completely useless!" She replied defiantly, lowering her head down in concentration as the SOLDIER made his move. Catching the bandersnatches off guard, Genesis deftly ran forward and jabbed his sword forward, catching the pack leader in the foreleg as the other two backed away a step out of reflex. Howling in pain, the wolf retaliated with a vicious bite, narrowly missing Genesis' forearm.

The other two bandersnatches had focused their attention on the Turk, who had a strange aura surrounding her as a warm glow emanated from her hand. Just as one of the monsters prepared to pounce, a strong fire erupted around Cissnei's closed fist as she drew her hand back. A split second later she released the fira with a cry, sending two fireballs hurtling towards the wolves. One of them managed to dodge whilst the other took the full force, flying backwards and hitting the ground with a muffled whimper.

Meanwhile, Genesis had his attention solely focused on the head of the pack and was just about to land the final slash before the beast retaliated with it's hind legs. As Genesis' silver-edged rapier pierced the bandersnatch's abdomen, it's hind claws managed to scrape across his cheek before the creature toppled to the ground, moaning in pain. Taking a sharp breath as the stinging rushed to the wound, Genesis grimaced as he turned his attention back to Cissnei, who was almost forced back against a tree. As soon as the wolf saw the stronger warrior approach, fear invaded its mind after seeing what had become of it's fellow pack members. Howling in terror the wolf-like monster fled, leaving the SOLDIER and Turk with each other for company.

Sighing in relief, Cissnei turned her attention back to Genesis, only to let out a short gasp at the blood running from his left cheek. Wordlessly she focused on her heal materia, ignoring the SOLDIER's insistence that she shouldn't waste her spirit energy. Seconds later a pale green glow surrounded the three cuts along Genesis' face and the wounds healed themselves quickly, leaving only a few light pink lines where they had once been.

"I…I could have fixed that…" Genesis trailed off, seeing Cissnei smoothing out her suit.

"Well, I _told_ you I wasn't useless." She said boldly, looking up at him determinedly. Genesis couldn't help but smile at her as he wiped his sword clean on some of the bushes to the side of the path.

"We'd better hurry back," Cissnei said, all business. Genesis suppressed a snort as they began walking again, finding it rather amusing that she had a professional attitude at such a young age.

_She's just trying to remember our objective, I suppose. She could be quite the industrious worker at ShinRa in a few years. I reckon she could even push Tseng off his lieutenant perch later on…_

Cissnei noticed his amused expression as they walked, wondering what he was thinking.

"Something funny?" She asked politely.

"Oh, no…nothing…" Genesis trailed off, trying to distance his thoughts again.

Cissnei raised an eyebrow but kept walking, feeling a little relieved that she could see the outline of their helicopter through some of the overgrowth.

_That Genesis…he's an interesting character, for sure._

* * *

N/A: Well, that's the first chapter for you! I really hope I've gotten a good grip on their characters - that's something I _always _worry about. -sweatdrop- Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed their interaction together! 83 ~ And lol, sorry to those who aren't familiar with Bone Village…it's just a place in FFVII where they do all these excavations and stuff. It's near Icicle Inn. Yeah.

Until the next chapter!

- Lioneh


	2. Arrival

A/N: HOMG CHAPTER TWOOO ~ I know one of my reviewers, septasonicxx (Dani) will be celebrating when she discover it's up. :3 In this chapter I promise there'll be stuff to squeal over, too! Go on and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei or anything to do with Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix.**

Rex and Davis the infantrymen, as mentioned further down, are completely and totally OWNED by septasonicxx on both this website and deviantART. They can be found with a much larger role in her story titled 'Roy Peters.'

* * *

'_Imaginings of you' - _Chapter 2

Arrival  
------------------------------------------------------

White.

It was all like a blanket of creamy velvet, stretching far into the distance, even beyond the mountains.

…it was beautiful.

Of course, Cissnei tried her best to keep her reaction to herself as she surveyed the cozy town of Icicle Inn, watching a few young children rugged up to the neck in scarves, gloves and thick jumpers playing about in the snow. Slinging her shuriken over one shoulder and a small bag over the other, she began to trek through the snow towards their temporary place of residence, closely following behind Genesis and the two infantrymen.

"Over here," Genesis motioned, gently pulling on the thick wooden door that lead to the fabled inn that helped the town obtain it's name. The Turk sighed in utter relief as she stepped in through the doorway, embracing the warmth of the fireplace that was across the room. Moments later she realised that Genesis had indeed been holding the door for her again. _What's this all about…? _

"Thanks…again," Cissnei said shyly, setting her pack down on the floor beside herself.

"Welcome." Genesis said silkily, brushing past her as he stepped over to the reception area.

"Ah," the elderly inn receptionist said, "we've been expecting you, SOLDIER. These are the men sent to deal with our fiend problems?"

"…and woman, ma'am." Genesis motioned behind himself to a rather embarrassed Cissnei.

"My goodness!" the receptionist said quickly, squinting at the Turk. "Why on earth send the poor girl on such a hard job?"

"I agreed to it." Cissnei said curtly, the side of her mouth quirking. "I'm a qualified member of ShinRa staff and have been trained in this area."

Shaking her head, the elderly woman stood up slowly, pointing a finger in the direction of their quarters for the next few nights.

"Follow me, then," she said gruffly, shuffling down a hallway. Straightening her shoulders, Cissnei retrieved her belongings and was about to follow the receptionists' lead before a shadow leaning over her caused her to pause.

"You alright?" Genesis inquired, a tone of concern in his voice.

"Fine." Cissnei said quickly, stepping past Genesis. The SOLDIER wasn't completely convinced, especially after seeing her respond with such steel in her voice earlier. He shrugged it off as he motioned for the two ShinRa army troops to follow her as he took up the rear. _Cissnei…she's tougher than she looks.  


* * *

_"Alright then," Genesis said briskly, rubbing his hands together. The four ShinRa personnel were sitting at a small, enclosed café not too far from the inn they were staying at, the setting sun filtering orange light through the small windows running along the edge of the little building. Though Cissnei brought her gaze to him, the two infantrymen were appearing to have a little bit of a hushed argument over something trivial.

Typical.

"Hey!" Genesis said in annoyance, raising his poetic voice slightly. "Pay attention, you two. And take those helmets off - I don't think I've even seen your faces today _once."_

_Not to mention that wearing hats or helmets inside is considered rude by most…_ Genesis pondered, watching the two underlings reveal their heads of messy hair.

"…did I even catch your names, men?" Genesis said curiously, seeing them looking at him with slight irritation.

"That idiot's Davis," the other said, flicking some of his dirty blonde hair out of his eyes. "I'm Rex."

The one named Davis gave Rex a small shove, poking his tongue out. Genesis just rolled his eyes, turning to face Cissnei who was just watching in amusement.

"I'm Cissnei, for anyone who didn't know…" she said sweetly. Rex started making eyes at her, whilst Davis promptly whacked him upside the head.

"Rex! Davis! Where on Gaia has your dignity gone?" Genesis growled, giving them a serious glare. Cissnei felt her face flush from the attention and shrunk back into her chair a little bit.

"_Anyway_," the SOLDIER hissed, resting his head in his hands, "I was about to review tomorrow's task. With your attention span you'll probably forget by then, but I'll try my hardest to _make_ you remember."

"…was that a threat?" Rex whispered to Davis quietly, who merely shrugged and actually started to pay attention.

"At dawn," Genesis began, ignoring the small protest given by the two army members, "we'll make for the abandoned mako excavation facility at Modeoheim. Come well prepared, as it's likely to be cold, and there are _definitely_ going to be monsters. Get a good night's rest and don't go wandering outside past dark. Understood?"

"Apart from sounding like my mum," Davis said, "I get it."

"Good," Genesis replied tersely, running a hand through his hair. "Dismissed."

The two infantrymen were out of there in seconds, probably glad to get away from their duties for a little while.

"Remember, this isn't a holiday!" Genesis called out after them, though it was probably too late for them to hear. Cissnei, meanwhile, was biting her lip in order not to laugh, considering she was around the age that Rex and Davis were. She quickly covered up her amusement with a wide yawn, letting the day's travel finally catch up with her.

"As for us…" Genesis said more gently, "we'll be going inside the facility itself once we reach it and finding the source of the problem that's causing the mutations."

Cissnei nodded in understanding, fingering some of her wavy hair.

"Also, just as a tip," Genesis said quietly, "equip your best materia, alright? Preferably those that are fire based, like that fira you handled before. If you have any access to ice-resistant accessories, wear those as well."

"Okay," she nodded quickly, taking note of the SOLDIER's advice. With a brief smile, the redhead stood up from his chair and gently pushed it in.

"See you back at the inn in about two hours, okay?" Genesis said softly, turning around and heading for the door.

"Y-yeah…" Cissnei said, finding an unexpected warmth tinge her cheeks as she watched his slender figure exit the small café.

* * *

"Time to get up…" a voice murmured quietly, a hand gently rubbing her shoulder.

Cissnei shifted inside the small, cozy bed, hardly aware of being conscious until she heard footsteps leaving her room. Sleepily blinking her eyes open, she saw the dim light of her lamp being the only source of illumination within the room at all. _It…must be still dark outside…_

"Mmm…" she groaned, stretching her hands high above her head. _Who was that earlier…?_

Bringing herself up into a sitting position, the young Turk yawned as she brushed some hair off her face. She paused in her actions, her mind searching for the person who'd decided to wake her up.

Cissnei gasped quietly, her brown eyes trying to blink their way into a more alert state.

"…that wasn't…him was it? Genesis?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she pushed some of the covers away, shivering at the lack of warm blankets over herself. _Not sure what to make of that…coming into my room and all…_

"Well…if that's all he did…" she mumbled, stumbling over towards the door and gently closing it. "I guess…I might have overslept anyway…"

Stifling another the yawn, Cissnei grabbed her suit from where it was hanging up on the wall and quickly began getting changed as fast as she could to avoid the chilly air. Within five minutes she had pulled out a comb and was dragging it through her tangled curls, complaining at the occasional knot.

"Ow…ow…" she mumbled, frustrated as she tried to make her way through another severe tangle. Sometimes having curly hair _sucked._

A sharp knocking at her door interrupted her struggle, causing her to immediately cast her gaze upon the doorway.

"Breakfast in five," Genesis called, his footsteps already fading down the hallway.

"…yeah, yeah," Cissnei grumbled, finally releasing her comb from her chestnut hair.

It was going to be a _long_ day.

* * *

_It must be below freezing out here…_

Cissnei's teeth chattered together as the party of SOLDIER, Turk and infantrymen continued down the snow covered path, the bitterly cold wind swirling little bits of snow about their faces. She'd done exactly what she'd been told in regards to materia and equipment - even had a minute to sharpen her shuriken blades before coming.

But that didn't stop how _cold_ she was feeling. Everyone else, on the other hand, seemed to be fairing okay, despite the harsh conditions. At least she was managing to keep up with Genesis as both Rex and Davis travelled at the rear.

Hiding her suffering to herself, Cissnei forced herself not to clutch her sides and make it obvious she was shivering - that crazy inn lady would never let the others live it down. So far, the journey had been without complications, with any monster encounters over in mere minutes since both she and the SOLDIER were more than prepared. The closer they seemed to get, however, the more mutated and horrible did each batch of creatures look - there must have been some serious problems with that old facility.

Or so she was thinking, anyway.

Genesis mostly kept to himself during their journey to the abandoned mako excavation site, occasionally checking on the status of his fellow ShinRa employees. Cissnei noted the little bits of snow that had stranded in his chestnut locks, almost tempted to giggle before realising she probably looked the same way. _At least Davis and Rex have helmets…_

But to no avail, as Davis nearly tripped on a rock protruding from the ground.

"Win some, lose some…" she mumbled underneath her visible breath. Just as the group rounded a crest in the mountain side, Genesis put a hand up to indicate for them to stop. He leaned his head forward, as if intently listening for something.

"Might be some monsters further along," he announced, obviously having picked up their cries long before Cissnei and the ShinRa troops did. A particularly frigid blast of cold wind swept through the party, blowing right into Cissnei as she let out an audible gasp at the freezing temperatures. Davis and Rex had fallen behind a bit now, both of them fighting against the icy winds.

"Here." Genesis said simply, shrugging his red leather coat off his broad yet slender shoulders and placing it in Cissnei's arms.

"No, wait! Genesis!" She called, seeing him already purposely taking bigger strides to distance himself from her so she couldn't argue. Feeling a furious heat flush her cheeks, the embarrassed Turk slipped her arms through the sleeves of the coat, feeling it already nice and warm from its previous wearer. The sleeves draped over her hands slightly and she had to try her best from letting it drag in the snow due to their height difference, feeling rather silly in the SOLDIER's coat.

Turning her head behind herself, she saw that both Davis and Rex were approaching, and immediately she threw herself into a jog to avoid being noticed by the two unkempt infantrymen. _Gosh…what the heck is wrong with him!? _

In her now heated embarrassment Cissnei quickly caught up to Genesis, who apparently wasn't feeling the cold on his _bare arms and shoulders_ as he kept on walking. She tried not to gawk at him striding through the snow like that with hardly any warm clothing on, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact.

But it was probably a bit late for that.

"Feeling better?" He asked playfully, a knowing smirk creeping onto his face.

"Yeah," Cissnei mumbled, still feeling quite self-conscious, "…t-thanks."

Genesis tentatively patted her shoulder, which was covered by the shoulder guard that was normally seen on him. He held back a snort but still accidentally let some laugher escape at the way she looked, dressed in a coat that was quite plainly too big for her.

Cissnei looked up at him, an embarrassed sensation washing over her all over again.

"What?" She spat, seeing the SOLDIER's shoulders shaking slightly in his chuckling. He turned to face her, a cheeky smile forming on his lips as much as he tried to suppress it.

"It's j-just…" he breathed, trying his best to stop laughing, "it makes you look so…c-cute…"

Cissnei stopped dead in her tracks, eyeing the SOLDIER with great suspicion as he also paused in his walking.

"Look, don't worry…" Genesis said, feeling more like himself again, "I'm not singling you out. I _have _called a girl cute before, so relax."

_Pfft…like that's going to help me feel better…_Cissnei thought sarcastically, though her expression betrayed her thoughts as she found herself smiling a little.

"Whatever you say, SOLDIER." She mumbled, lifting her head up to see where they were heading. "U-um, actually, you might want to turn around…"

Just as those words left her mouth Genesis had already spun on his heel, an intense heat forming around his hand as he met with said monster from earlier. A hideous, mutated animal of _some kind_ was snarling at him, already concentrating to form a level 3 ice spell rapidly above the SOLDIER's figure.

Swift as a cheetah, Genesis let fly an incredibly powerful firaga and quickly dodged the razor sharp icicles that sliced through the air, falling where he'd been moments ago. The creature was incinerated as it hobbled away, covered in flames as it crashed to the snowy ground.

Dusting his hand on his pants, the SOLDIER quickly continued onward, leaving Cissnei to hurry along behind him.

A few minutes later, Genesis took a glance behind himself, narrowing his mako infused eyes as he focused into the distance, not catching sight or either Davis or Rex anywhere.

"Seen the infantrymen?" He asked quietly, bringing up a hand to block off some of the glare that came with the surrounding snow. Cissnei shook her head, feeling a slight sense of worry edge into her feelings as she glanced around.

"No…" she trailed off, bringing the SOLDIER's crimson coat closer around her shoulders to block out the chilly wind.

Genesis put a hand to his temple, clearly frustrated with the two of them. _Is this how Angeal feels looking after all those recruits he trains?  
_

"Yo!"

Snapping his head up again, Genesis quickly zoomed in on the two figures…in _front _of him, further down the path.

"What in Minerva's name are you two playing at?" He yelled towards them, hoping his voice would carry the distance. "This is no time for games, you know!"

"You're one to talk!" Rex called back, motioning at Cissnei.

Ignoring him, Genesis broke into a fast lope in order to catch up to the two, briefly looking behind himself to see a Cissnei furtively removing his red leather coat from her shoulders as she followed.

About thirty seconds later the SOLDIER and Turk intercepted Davis and Rex further down the path, with Cissnei handing him his coat back into Genesis' spare hand. Slipping it back on, Genesis gave the two infantrymen a hard glare that he'd taken the time to learn off Sephiroth.

"Never, ever abandon the party you've been assigned to. _Especially_ in conditions like these." Genesis said fiercely, steel in his normally calm, smooth voice. "This is going on your reports, boys."

Rex winced a little bit, but Davis stood tall and squared his shoulders.

"Sir, we found a much faster route that we discovered along the way - we didn't even think monsters could-"

"While you may have thought," Genesis interrupted him, "you didn't _know_. That puts both your lives, ShinRa's and _my_ reputation in danger. I never want to see such reckless actions from you two again. Stay within good behaviour for the rest of this trip, and I might, just _might_ reduce the harshness towards both of you when it comes to report time."

By this time and Genesis' forceful words, both Rex and Davis had taken their minds off what they seen Cissnei involved in, far too put out by their discipline.

"Now come on," Genesis said tersely, motioning for everyone to follow. Both Davis and Rex started trudging along behind the SOLDIER, with Cissnei deciding to take the rear to make sure they didn't stray off the main pathway again.

Despite the constant wind biting at her face, Cissnei didn't feel the slightest bit too cold anymore. As she watched everyone else moving forward in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder…

_Genesis…who _are_ you, really?_

_

* * *

_A/N: -dances- A second chapter! All in the same day, too! -feels proud- Yes, I'm known for terrible procrastination, but never fear! I think I'll be able to update faster, as I'm addicted to writing romance ~ -giggle- It'll serve as a nice escape from school, which happens to commence again for me in a week… -gag- Anyway, until then, I shall leave you all hanging!

Reviews are greatly appreciated, as I really need feedback! o___o

- Lioneh


	3. Investigation

A/N: WHOO ~ I wrote a chapter AND posted it the day after the last one! I feel so proud! -dances- Anyway, mild mentions of blood in this one, but I'm sure we can cope. Also a few more fight scenes.

Anyway, I'm sure Dani appreciates the comic relief of Davis and Rex, don't you? -wink-

Enjoy! :3

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei or anything to do with Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix.**

**Rex and Davis the infantrymen, as mentioned further down, are completely and totally OWNED by septasonicxx on both this website and deviantART. They can be found with a much larger role in her story titled 'Roy Peters.'**

* * *

'_Imaginings of You'_ - Chapter 3

Investigation  
-------------------------------------------------

"Watch your step, everyone - it's pretty icy down here."

Carefully, the party of four picked their way down the slippery path that led down to the outside of the abandoned mako excavation facility, taking very hesitant steps.

"Rex, move it!" Davis growled with impatience, itching to get off the icy slopes. Rex was inching himself forwards, his feet slipping occasionally as he tried to reach the end of the path. Davis narrowed his eyes, giving his fellow infantryman an undesired shove in the back in order to get him moving faster.

"Argh, you idiot, Davis!" Rex hissed, tripping over his own feet as he lost his balance and crashed into a sprawled heap. Davis, not anticipating this, kept on walking and actually tripped over Rex, toppling over his fallen form and collapsing on top of him.

Turning his head to the commotion, Genesis simply let out an exasperated sigh, tensing his hands in and out of fists, his knuckles white underneath his gloves.

"If you two morons want to become monster bait, then by all means, keep screwing up!" Genesis seethed, gritting his teeth.

Cissnei observed as the two boys hurriedly scrambled to their feet, quickly catching up with the redheaded SOLDIER and standing at attention. She took a few quick steps down the path, coming to a stop when the ground became level again.

"Better…" the SOLDIER hissed quietly, taking a moment to survey his surroundings. _What a run down place…._

In front of the group was a huge structure that was obviously used in primitive mako excavation techniques, most of it rusted away with the melting of the snow and the freezing air. Nearby was a snow covered shed that had been abandoned as long as the machine - probably once housing supplies and other, smaller ShinRa technology. A tall metal fence surrounded the entire facility with one single entrance at the front that led inside.

"That looks comforting…" Cissnei mumbled, clutching her shuriken tighter. 'Rekka', as she liked to call it, had been giving her a workout on this mission - every corner she had rounded within the last kilometre was infested with hideous monsters. Another unidentifiable roar was enough to signal there were more where the others came from, causing a nasty shiver to run up her spine.

"Rex! Davis!" Genesis said sternly, turning back to face them. "You two are to keep watch while myself and Cissnei proceed with the investigation. _Do not_ do anything to endanger _anyone's_ lives, you hear?"

"Sir!" Rex said attentively, giving him a salute.

"Yes, sir," Davis replied meekly, doing the same as his friend.

"Okay," Genesis said, nodding at them both. "Alright, Cissnei…"

"Coming," she said shortly, stepping through the snow with her shuriken close at hand. Once both SOLDIER and Turk had left the infantrymen and had entered the facility through the gateway, Genesis dropped his guard a little.

"It's show time," he said light-heartedly, giving her a confident smirk. "You ready?"

"As soon as you are," she replied in the same tone, her feet already running as a heavily mutated bird scrambled through the snow towards them, using its deformed wings as a means of moving forward. For just a split second, the SOLDIER saw Cissnei hesitate before letting her shuriken fly, striking the bird dead centre and sending it sprawling to the side.

"Good ears," he said, truly impressed with her initiative. "You took that monster down pretty quickly."

"That…that's not a monster, Genesis…" she trailed off, stepping forward to remove her shuriken from the fallen creature.

"…sorry?" He said, confused. He stepped next to her and knelt down in the snow, examining the mutated animal before him. He cast his gaze over the creature's abnormally deformed wings, it's fragile legs, it's lumpy head. Not even half of it was covered in actual feathers like a normal species of bird would be.

"…it looks like one," he mumbled, hesitantly touching a wing to make sure it was truly dead.

"It's a bird." She said bluntly, standing up. "Well, it was a bird, but something caused the poor thing to mutate this way…"

"Hmm." Genesis brushed a few stray locks of hair from his face as he too stood up, dusting his knees off. "It was probably mako. I was expecting a leak inside this place, so my thoughts are confirmed."

"Mako?" Cissnei questioned, "but don't SOLDIERs get mako too?"

"Yes, we do. But abnormally high concentrations or prolonged exposure can cause unpredictable mutations in all living things. " Genesis explained, casting his gaze to the sky. He observed the snow drifting down slowly, swirling around in the icy breezes of the Modeo mountains. "It just seems to be a way of life, even before we humans did anything." _Of course, we probably did make it worse…_

Cissnei looked at him for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well," she began, doing her best to ignore the bird she had just killed, "we've got a mission to attend to."

"Indeed," he replied, stepping beside her. "Let's go."

* * *

"Wow…" Cissnei whispered, seeing the inside of the excavation site.

The pair had just come down a series of stairs that led them down into the heart of the facility, fortunately free from the harsh winds from outside.

"It's not as cold," Genesis said absently, "still a little drafty though… "

Tentatively, he slid his crimson rapier from it's sheath, taking a firm hold around the decorated hilt with his right hand. Quickly checking his accessories, Genesis bowed his head in concentration as he focused on the materia embedded within his sword, mumbling something underneath his breath.

Cissnei watched with curiosity while she readied Rekka, seeing the red sword become engulfed in scorching flames as Genesis focused. Seconds later he lifted his head, a determined expression on his face as he gently motioned for Cissnei to follow him.

Bracing herself, the young Turk kept by the experienced SOLDIER's side, taking in the huge expanse of the abandoned mako excavation facility with wide brown eyes. She took in all the details she could, scanning the air and the walls surrounding for any monsters lurking inside. Genesis was doing the same, his rapier at the ready for anything that might decide to ambush them.

They reached the railing together, and Cissnei took a curious look over the edge, only to see an enormous chasm reaching down into the depths of the planet. She let out a quiet gasp as she clutched the railing, feeling a breeze billowing up from below.

Her breath cut short as the railing she was holding crumbled into rust particles, the platform they were standing on emitting a large groan. Suppressing a scream in surprise, Cissnei felt her hand grasp whatever happened to be beside her for support.

Which turned out to be Genesis.

"Sorry." She squeaked, releasing her grip on his muscle-toned forearm.

"You're okay," he said softly, gently touching her shoulder.

Cissnei nodded with embarrassment, wishing she was appearing more confident.

"Now stay very still," he whispered, his enhanced hearing picking up skittering sounds on the rafters high above. "We may have company."

Putting on a stronger face, Cissnei nodded, tensing her grip on her crimson tipped shuriken as Genesis stepped away from her side.

"They're more of the flying kind," Genesis mumbled, keeping his head down. "Don't alert them that you know of their presence."

Cissnei looked as unprepared as she could, waiting for Genesis to make the first move. Moments later the SOLDIER snapped his head up and lashed out as one ahriman swooped down from the rafters, it's single eye focused directly on him. With a single stroke the one-eyed monster was slashed right open, causing it to crash to the metal grated floor.

The Turk imitated Genesis' actions and released her shuriken in a powerful throw as more lunged down, catching several ahrimans as her Rekka spun back towards her. Grasping it firmly as it returned, Cissnei backed up a few steps and aimed again just as another monster stared at her, releasing a confusing wave of energy that left her feeling sick to the stomach.

Meanwhile, Genesis was dodging and slashing, catching each ahriman that swooped him with well placed sword strokes as he stepped backwards and forwards, side to side. He look a fast glance at Cissnei, seeing her losing her stance as she defended herself from the assault, clearly looking sick.

"Ugh…" she mumbled, feeling her body begin to weaken. "It p-poisoned me…" She fumbled around in her pocket for an antidote but felt her arm get slashed by a vicious talon from one of the monsters. Crying out, she tried her best to defend herself despite the onslaught of the creatures.

By this time Genesis had established that these creatures were capable of poison spells and that Cissnei had indeed been afflicted by one such curse. Shoving a hand into his pocket, he quickly grasped an antidote and side stepped over to Cissnei whilst holding off the current ahriman that was attacking him.

"Here!" He shouted, dropping the antidote into her spare hand. Cissnei took absolutely no hesitation and quickly drank the entire bottle, feeling immediately better as she did so.

In fact, she felt a heightened sense of emotion as she sensed her limit break coming on, leaving her with renewed strength as she concentrated on her spirit energy. A barrier formed around her body as the ahrimen continued their constant swooping and swiping, repelling their attacks as she lowered her head in concentration.

"Lucky stars." Cissnei breathed, bringing her shuriken close to herself.

In an instant a bright flash of light engulfed her body, covering her from head to toe for just a moment as she bent her knees and leapt into the air. As her spirit energy levels reached an all time high she propelled upwards, spinning as she repeatedly tossed her shuriken and caught it in midair. Genesis barely had a second to notice her as he parried another pair of talons on his sword, his eyes widening during his split second observation.

Every single blow Cissnei dealt was deemed a critical hit as she landed back on the ground, a radiant aura of warm hope surrounding her as she resumed a normal battle stance and lashed out at any monster within striking range. Out of an initial group of about twenty ahrimen, only four remained as the SOLDIER and Turk continued their individual battles.

Sweat was trailing down Genesis' neck as he caught the final ahriman right underneath it's single, large eye, sending a screech of pain from the monster as it's demonic wings folded and collapsed to the ground. Panting slightly, he turned to face Cissnei as she was squaring off against the final three. Just as she was about to release her shuriken in a final throw, Genesis thought about sending a firaga to eliminate them all at once, but decided he should give Cissnei the opportunity to prove herself.

With a final, tired groan, Cissnei let her shuriken fly, the crimson blades spinning through the air as each ahriman tried to dodge. One was struck across the eye and the other's had their wings slashed to ribbons as the spiked disk came flying back to it's owner. While she didn't manage to kill them, the three monsters each clumsily flew up to the rafters to lick their wounds. One of them didn't even make it that far - instead, it's wings crumpled and it plummeted down into the treacherous chasm underneath the infrastructure.

"You look a little beat…" Genesis trailed off, taking a moment to catch his breath as Cissnei stood her ground, panting heavily. The gash on her arm had soaked the surrounding area with blood, and her face had several small cuts. Genesis himself didn't sustain many injuries at all, save for a few nicks on his face and clothing.

His description was probably putting it mildly as Cissnei gulped in lungful of air, her right hand dropping her shuriken with a clang as it went to her left forearm. It seemed the pain had only just occurred to her then, considering the fight was so quick but seemed like a lifetime.

Quickly stepping over, Genesis felt a tugging sense of compassion inside of him as he reached out to gently take hold of her arm. Bowing his head, Genesis closed his eyes and muttered the word, 'cura' underneath his breath, moving his free hand to hover gently over the wound. Cissnei made no protest to his cure spell as a gentle green light surrounded her injury, quickly knitting the muscle and skin back together until only a fine pink line remained.

"T-thanks," she managed to croak out, drawing her now healed arm closer to herself as Genesis gave her a small nod. Managing to give herself a quick dusting, the Turk pulled out a small potion bottle and quickly guzzled it down, healing the rest of her minor cuts and abrasions. Genesis did the same, and before long the two of them began to explore the platforms further down.

"I hope that was it for monsters…" Cissnei said, a shudder running through her as they proceeded down some steps.

"Unfortunately, that pack seemed like normal resident monsters, but I dare say they probably were mako-enhanced." Genesis said regretfully, keeping an eye out for any other life forms besides themselves. Sharpening his gaze, he focused further into the distance and saw a faint green glow a few more flights of stairs down. "I think we found our source of the problem."

"That simplifies things." Cissnei said thankfully, feeling a little bit more positive. The two continued on in silence for a few more minutes, until the arrived at the top of the final platform. Cissnei was now able to make out the issue - one of the old pipes had burst and apparently contained pressurised mako, which was now spurting out the side of the metal tubing. Worst of all, several creatures of some kind were busy investigating it and dousing themselves with whatever they could get their bodies under.

"Hmph," Genesis frowned, "it seems these few monsters have developed a tolerance and even an _addiction_ to this mako." _And that means they've probably been multiplying like rabbits…_

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us, then." Cissnei mused, fingering her shuriken.

"At least we have the advantage of a pre-emptive strike…" Genesis muttered, his rapier at the ready. "You sure you're okay with this, Turk?"

Cissnei turned her head to face him, a smile tugging at her mouth.

"I'll survive, SOLDIER."

* * *

A/N: And that's it for this chapter! The next one, I'm sure you can imagine, will involve more fighting. Question - do I even write fight scenes well? -panic- I never usually write them that much, so I hope I'm doing okay. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the cute bits of Genesisnei that I threw in there, and trust me, there's a whole lot more of it to come!

Reviews are appreciated!

- Lioneh


	4. Reflections

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei or anything to do with Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix.**

**Rex and Davis the infantrymen, as mentioned further down, are completely and totally OWNED by septasonicxx on both this website and deviantART. They can be found with a much larger role in her story titled 'Roy Peters.'**

* * *

_'Imaginings of You' _- Chapter 4

Reflections  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fire.

Warm tongues of flame licked at the glowing logs, silvery tendrils of smoke twisting their way up into the darkness of the chimney above.

She was so _mesmerised._

Well, considering the embers were glowing such a pretty orange…emitting the most _wonderful_ heat, covering her with a blanket of gentle warmth that made her want to fall asleep right then and there. Of course, such pleasure to fire would have been expected after trekking through the frigid mountains of Modeoheim. If she hadn't heeded the advice of Genesis Rhapsodos by not wearing something ice resistant, she would've been an _icicle_. Even then, she was still suffering from some mild effects that seemed an awful lot like hypothermia - just her luck. Keeping a tough, smart exterior was harder than she was hoping, even if she did undergo strict training through her childhood.

Cissnei sighed, sinking down into the blanket that was wrapped around herself a little more, thoughtfully provided by one of the staff at the Inn a little while ago. She, Genesis and two fellow infantrymen Davis and Rex had returned from their mission a short while back - thankfully, it had been a success, though Cissnei certainly wasn't happy about her torn business suit, nor her shirt underneath.

Everybody was in complete bliss as they trampled through the doors to the Inn, embracing the comforting heat of the ever-burning fireplace inside. Genesis had given it an extra kick with a gently placed fire spell, turning it into a fiercely burning blaze, the flames hungrily engulfing the logs. Then he'd hastily made sure Cissnei had a seat to rest in, before mumbling some orders to his two underlings and letting them make use of the spare time. He'd then disappeared to his own room, leaving Cissnei to slowly thaw out by the fire and Rex and Davis to muck about in the snow.

Or so Cissnei was thinking, anyway.

Feeling sleep cloud her vision, the Turk was about to let her head lull to the side when a hand waved in front of her face, making her blink in surprise.

"Wha…?" She mumbled, straightening her posture and turning her head around. "Oh…" she narrowed her eyes slightly, seeing Rex standing right behind her, giving her a goofy grin.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be on duty?" He said slyly, winking.

"Would you be working if you had _hypothermia?_" She replied just as quickly, giving him a questioning look with a slight tug of a smile.

"Aw, come on, it's not that bad!" Rex said with feigned irritation, leaning on the back of her chair. "Though I gotta say, that suit on you earlier looked-"

"Re-ex!" A whine came from the other side of the Inn's entrance, clearly sounding like a _very_ annoyed Davis. Rex rolled his eyes in frustration, stepping away from Cissnei as though to hide the fact he was communicating with her. Seconds later Davis burst through the door, a dripping snowball in his hands as he glanced around for the presence of his friend.

"There you are, you idiot! What did I say!? No hiding inside!" Davis growled, stepping over and dragging Rex by the arm back through the doorway. "What were you up to…?"

Cissnei heard their voices fade away as she slumped in her chair again, wondering why there was the sudden _interest_ that males seemed to have around her lately - it was starting to give her the willies. Rex was probably just having a bit of a flirt - he seemed like the type to do that to whatever girl he fancied.

Not that Cissnei knew what that felt like, anyway.

She kept her eyes open halfway as she gazed into the dancing flames of the fire, seeing the embers radiate a soft glow of gentle warmth, even if hidden behind whatever remained of the log.

It was…kind of funny.

What she was seeing in the embers… led her mind Genesis, of all people - one of her new acquaintances. There was so much she was yet to learn about him, but there was something about his person that seemed to draw her in…his alluring voice? No, no. That wasn't the right word for it…maybe…it was his subtle ways of courtesy, the way he seemed to just treat her different. Nicely.

But he probably treated all girls that way - surely he did. Yes.

It wasn't just her.

_Gaia. Why am I even thinking this way?_ Cissnei shook her head abruptly, dismissing her unusual thoughts as quickly as they had come. This wasn't like her at all - she hadn't been raised to think this way about - about anybody, actually. Her training said to take caution with every person she met - anybody could be an enemy, a threat, whether it be to herself, or even ShinRa.

But the pathways weren't connecting like that at all lately - especially with him.

_I wonder how normal girls my age deal with feelings like this?_ Cissnei pondered, absently looking around the room. _Not that many teenage girls are in positions like me…_

Across the room, she caught a glance of Genesis himself leaning against the edge of the hallway, taking a moment to fidget with his hands as he stared off into space, clearly not focusing on anything in particular. His gaze was only drawn away when the elderly receptionist gave a huff, giving him a level glare from across the desk. He merely bowed his head in response, trying to brush her off.

Cissnei suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, despite how she wished to - didn't that woman ever stop?

Meanwhile, Genesis absently let out a low sigh, bringing his half closed eyes to Cissnei's level but still keeping his head bowed so she wouldn't notice. From his side of things, she looked pretty beat - she'd been on that chair warming up for the last half an hour - and to him, she still looked a little frozen around the edges. Unless it was ice around the outside of his eyes - even that wind made them water quite a bit during their trek though the mountains.

To his surprise, Cissnei turned her head around to face him, making his head automatically jerk upwards and away, trying to break his gaze. Genesis mentally groaned, not wanting an awkward feeling developing between himself and her - it wasn't often he opened up to people, yet she seemed kind of trusting - Genesis felt he could speak his mind without worrying.

Although, _now_ he was a bit concerned, hoping his reaction wasn't too sudden. Much to his relief, the Turk's gaze drifted around the room, and eventually she went back to staring into the entrancing glow of the fire again.

Inside, Genesis was mentally slapping himself - he wasn't acting normally. Well, sure, 'normal' for him was only being with Angeal and Sephiroth - they were the only ones who he could really show his true colours to. Others saw him for a proud and somewhat quiet SOLDIER, who had a notoriously poetic and graceful demeanour and a tendency to charm girls, or so he was thinking. He wasn't actually sure, considering he changed his mind about it far too often because of how much more people focused on Sephiroth rather than himself.

Which hurt, sometimes.

But what did it matter what others thought of him? …well, to himself, that actually meant _a lot_ - he had a reputation to uphold, and even if it were only the minority that respected him, he would maintain that. With honour, of course. For Angeal's sake.

Genesis smirked.

He would do that especially at this very moment, he decided. He'd be careful, of course - he didn't want Cissnei to get the wrong idea. After all - they were colleagues - maybe even friends now. Yes. That's all it was.

Distancing his thoughts again to clear his mind, the SOLDIER let his feet guide him forward, cautiously stepping over to the fireplace where Cissnei was resting.

The Turk sensed him coming, and quickly shrugged the blanket off her shoulders, giving her jacket a quick dusting to remove any tiny ice particles that hadn't melted. Just in case.

"Hey," Genesis said delicately, resting his gentle gaze on her.

"…hi," Cissnei replied shyly, immediately feeling guilty for spending so long by the fire. She should've been filling out her official reports by now…

"Warmer?" Genesis inquired, motioning to the enticing fire beside him.

"I'm much better," Cissnei nodded quickly, wriggling her toes inside her boots. Finally, some feeling!

"I was thinking…" he began, trying not to tap his fingers against his leg, "did you want to catch up over some coffee? I'm sure a warm drink would top the day off a bit more eloquently."

Cissnei bit her lip. "I…I was supposed start on my documentation of the mission, actually."

"Oh, well," Genesis said quickly, masking his disappointment, "if you don't have the time, that's - that's alright."

Cissnei glanced up at him, seeing a flicker of pleading in his eyes, the side of his mouth twitching downwards. Reading facial expressions wasn't a problem to her - she could tell he quite plainly wanted time to relax with some company. It was no question that neither of the infantrymen were suitable for his standards, either.

So she made a split second decision.

"I suppose it can wait," she mumbled thoughtfully, "maybe some caffeine will, you know…awaken my senses?"

Genesis felt a tiny tug of happiness inside of him, a little smile pulling at his mouth. "Perhaps it might."

"Coffee it is, then."

* * *

Oh, _that smell_ - it wafted past her nose as Genesis set the mug down on the table in front of her, washing over all of her senses.

Whoever discovered coffee was a genius - a mastermind.

Before taking her first sip, Cissnei rummaged around inside her pocket, pulling out a small sum of gil and closing her palm around it.

"Hold on, Genesis," she said quickly just as the SOLDIER shoved his wallet away. "Let me pay for that."

"Oh, no, don't you worry," Genesis replied smoothly, reaching for the sugar packets in the middle of the table.

"I _insist_," she said sternly, smiling playfully as Genesis sighed in feigned annoyance. Groaning, the SOLDIER put his hand out, and Cissnei carefully dropped the gil into his palm.

After pocketing the money, Genesis grasped three sachets of sugar and tore open the first one, pouring the contents into his steaming mug of milky coffee. Cissnei, on the other hand, found herself only adding one - it seemed the roles were in reverse.

"Three?" She questioned, stirring her own with a spoon as the SOLDIER ripped open the last packet.

"Yes," Genesis said indifferently, "three."

"Got a sweet tooth?" Cissnei inquired, taking the first delightful sip of her coffee and nearly swallowing the wrong way when she realised how informal that sounded.

"Actually, no," he replied seriously, quickly stirring in the undissolved sugar. "I have sweet _teeth_."

With that, he flashed a quick grin at her before drinking some of his coffee.

The Turk suppressed a snort, letting out a tiny, muffled giggle instead.

"What about yourself? One?" Genesis asked in put on astonishment, fingering the single empty packet of sugar Cissnei had used.

"I think I adjusted to _normal men_ making my coffee - Reno never put in more than one when he first started making them for me."

"_Reno_ made you _coffee?_ And you call _him _normal!" Genesis huffed, playing along.

"Of course," Cissnei teased, shrugging. Her tone then changed back to normal as she spoke. "I was too young to make them myself at first."

"Young?" The SOLDIER questioned, taking another sip of enticing coffee.

"Reno was a bad influence on me," Cissnei whispered knowingly, cupping her hands around the warm mug.

Genesis smirked. "Not surprising."

"But he's not so bad," she went on, fingering some of her hair. Cissnei was glad she was used to idle chatter with people - or she'd have a terrible time when she grew older. She had to learn at an early age how to adapt good social skills in order to survive a business employee's life.

"I used to follow him around a lot. When I was younger." Cissnei mumbled absently.

Genesis nodded in response, feeling their playful edge lost - he'd enjoyed that. Any other girl he'd taken out before was too embarrassed or shy to even try being funny.

Not that he'd gone out with many girls, mind you.

And this wasn't a date.

"So," Cissnei said absently, setting down her coffee mug. "How long have you been a SOLDIER?"

"Seven years." He replied casually, as if that were normal.

"…wow," she gasped, suddenly feeling suppress by his authority. "That long?"

Silence. Genesis lowered his head.

"Not as long as some," he mused, taking another gentle sip as he gazed out the window. _Another thing Sephiroth's done better…than me…_

Cissnei glanced at him shyly, seeing his expression darken slightly as he stared off into space.

"Sorry," she said quickly, stiffening at the tense feeling that seemed to fill the air. "…was that…I mean, are you alright?"

Bringing himself out his own slightly troubled thoughts, Genesis turned his sight back on Cissnei again.

"Yeah." He gave her a small, reassuring smile, trying to relieve the tension that had slowly began to build. Why worry her in affairs not her own?

She nodded in return, suddenly feeling guilty for treading on the wrong grounds. _Wonder what that was about?_

For the next few minutes, a comfortable silence settled on the pair as they enjoyed the afternoon's setting sun and the remains of their coffee, each enjoying the presence of the other.

As friends, of course.

* * *

A/N: Ohh, those two, they're trying to run away with my story! XD I swear, it's like they want to flirt with each other or something… Anyway, I'm quite pleased with this chapter - I liked the insight I gave into their thoughts about each other.

Yes.

They're totally friends.

Ahaha. But only time will tell what shall become of their recent friendship. Bwahaha ~

Until next time!

- Lioneh


	5. Homecoming

A/N: Kyahhhh! Chapter five! I feel I'm doing so well with this story 8D Srsly, I normally stop chapter stories at about the third chappie, trust me. Anyway, I shall delay you no further - go forth and read! I promise kawaii-ness :3

* * *

'_Imaginings of You' - _Chapter 5

Homecoming  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Wow…"

Cissnei slumped back into the co-pilot's seat, her heart sinking as the ghostly turquoise glow of refined mako tinted the base of the helicopter's windscreen.

"Midgar, huh…"

_What a dump_… the Turk mused, disliking the harsh contrast between the refreshing sights and sounds of Icicle Inn with the ominous glow of a dark and dreary mako city. She was going to miss the whiteness, the _pureness_ all around - surrounding her like a creamy blanket of soft snow. Just being there really made her think of how gloomy Midgar really was - and she didn't think it was going to get better.

But she'd lived here all her life - well, for whatever of it she could remember. There was no use complaining - she'd just remember to take her next vacation to the snow again instead of the sunny beach like last year. _It _would_ be a nice change…_

With a few jarring movements, the helicopter came to a rest atop the ShinRa building, sending a jolt through the machine as it scraped the helipad.

Nothing like a good helicopter ride.

"We've landed." The pilot announced into his microphone, clearly worn out from the hours spent airborne. Cissnei herself was feeling the same - even with the varied scenery she'd taken note of as they'd flown over the continents. It was possible to see one too many forests and grasslands in one's life at a time.

Giving her thanks and farewell, the Turk quickly released herself from her seat restraints, grabbing her shuriken from behind herself as well as her belongings before heading through the doorway. As soon as her legs hit the dusty helipad, her knees wobbled from being bent for so long, causing her to wince. She gave her legs a shake to stretch them out a bit, waiting for her fellow employees to exit the helicopter.

Seconds later, she caught sight of the familiar coat of Genesis Rhapsodos, seeing it whipping about in the breeze as the helicopter's blades spun slower and slower. He stepped out, ushering both Rex and Davis out of the hatchway before closing it himself. She nodded to him, seeing him flash her a smile before they headed back into the depths of the ShinRa building.

Suddenly, everything seemed a little better.

* * *

"All, dismissed."

"Sir." Genesis nodded to Lazard, glad the debriefing was prompt. In short, the mission had been a success, the pesky leak in the abandoned excavation facility fixed and the trust of the local Icicle Inn residents to the ShinRa company restored.

Beside him, the double trouble infantrymen Rex and Davis gave the SOLDIER Director nervous salutes, feeling privileged to be in the presence of such a respected figure of the SOLDIER division. No doubt both of them aspired to be a part of the elite fighting force, and being allowed on the actual floor let alone the Director's office was definitely something to them.

Genesis' mouth quirked as they stood there for a few second before realising they had been given permission to leave, quickly scurrying off to their own proper department.

Cissnei gave a polite 'thank you', shuffling her neatly filled out reports in her hands as she turned to leave. Following closely, Genesis walked behind her until they were into the foyer of the SOLDIER floor, finding that he was fidgeting with one of his hands.

Probably because he was bored.

"I'll see you, then," Cissnei smiled, turning to face him.

"Of course," he nodded, giving her a light smirk. "Maybe we'll run into each other on a lunch break."

"Maybe," she giggled, feeling her face turn hot.

It _was_ pretty warm up here…

"Farewell," he said smoothly, seeing her narrow her eyes playfully at him.

"_Bye_," she responded teasingly, surprising herself as she gave him a wink. With that, she turned on her heel and stepped into one of the elevators, apparently going up to wherever the Turks resided.

Genesis blinked a little, feeling a bit hot underneath all his leather.

He should speak to management about the air conditioning up here.

* * *

Sleep.

Oh, how she wished she had more of it!

It had only seemed like yesterday that she'd stepped out of that helicopter, arriving back from her trip to Icicle Inn. To think, she was exhausted then…

In reality, it had actually been three weeks, and one late night after the other with business meetings, paperwork and various other jobs had been catching up with her.

Cissnei tried to suppress a rather wide yawn, covering her mouth as she grasped the Styrofoam cup with the other. This morning had been rather unpleasant - rain was drenching the upper plate of Midgar in heavy sheets, and she'd made it here rather damp and unkempt, even with an umbrella.

Reason number twenty six why people under the plate actually had an advantage.

She gazed out the window of the little café, finishing the remains of her coffee. She hadn't seen any sign of Genesis Rhapsodos, the SOLDIER she'd worked with recently anywhere since they'd parted ways. It made her a little sad, considering they'd started things off on such a good note in terms of friendship.

He was certainly more respectable company that Reno.

Slowly arising from her chair, the Turk gave a long stretch to loosen up her sleep deprived muscles, feeling quite warm and drowsy after she did so. _Man, sure is nice and cosy right here…_

But sadly, a full day's work at ShinRa was calling her name.

Groaning at the thought, Cissnei looped her arm underneath her handbag which was on the seat next to her, swinging it over her shoulder as she tossed her empty cup into a nearby bin. She knew this café like the back of her hand - she'd been coming here for months now.

Nothing like coffee to kick start your morning.

She pushed her chair in, straightening herself up and giving her front a quick dust. She'd had to buy a new suit jacket since her last mission, rather disappointed at the unsightly rip in her sleeve. Next time she'd better equip some barrier materia - maybe that would save her wasting money on new clothes.

Not that spending was an issue for her. Being a Turk paid surprisingly well, considering it seemed like a normal office job. Save for the missions and occasional secret business they had to attend to, of course.

Letting out a sigh, Cissnei lifted her head up to see if the rain had eased off at all.

"Nope…" she mumbled, "still coming down in torrents, I see."

_Hang on…_ she thought, seeing a flash of red through the downpour. She highly doubted Reno would be out in weather like this without protection - he might be unkempt, but he was wise enough to use an umbrella.

Shaking her head, she quickly weaved her way through the tables and clicked the door open, hearing the little bell ring indicating she was leaving.

"Man…" she mumbled, hearing the rain pelting down on the cobblestone much louder now that she was outside. Carefully stepping underneath the awning, she hastily dug her hand around in her bag to try and locate her small umbrella. Meanwhile, her eyes were combing the area in front of her, trying to get a better glance at the red _something_ she'd seen only moments before.

There - there it was.

No.

There _he _was.

Of course! Now she could tell - it was him, or at least, she thought. She could make out his figure in the distance, seeing him flinch about in the rain.

Clearly, he didn't have an umbrella.

Without another second to hesitate, she extended her own umbrella and boldly hurried out into the downpour.

Meanwhile, a familiar SOLDIER growled in contempt as he wriggled his arms out of his sleeves, bringing his coat over his head in an attempt to…

…keep the rain off his hair.

He'd unknowingly stepped out into a drizzle after leaving his apartment, and to his dismay, realised that either Angeal or Sephiroth had taken the available umbrella situated by the door. At first, the rain was only coming down in a light mist, so he'd tried his best to retain his dignity as he dashed towards the main headquarters of ShinRa.

But the light rain obviously hadn't lasted - and now he was getting absolutely _drenched_.

And now he looked like a complete _moron_, especially with-

"….Genesis?"

Startled, the SOLDIER misplaced his step a little as he huddled underneath his treasured red leather coat, feeling rain soaking through his clothes that weren't covered. Snapping his head towards the voice, he found himself looking directly at…at…

"C-Cissnei?" He stammered, feeling a horrible wave of embarrassment flooding through himself as he quickly - much to his resentment - put his coat on properly.

She didn't answer - instead, she reached onto the tips of her toes and pulled him down underneath the little umbrella by his sleeve.

"You're drenched!" She scolded, looking at him up and down. "No umbrella?"

Genesis lowered his head in sheer humiliation, gritting his teeth as he felt his face flush the shade of his coat. What was worse, he didn't know - spoiling his hair in the rain, or being found _in a state like this_ in front of…of…Cissnei.

"Come on," she said more gently, edging closer to him to make sure they were both sheltered.

Genesis gave his hair a quick shake, feeling water droplets flying off his locks in the process. _Gaia…it's soaked…_

Meanwhile, Cissnei was lost in her own thoughts as she tightly gripped the umbrella with one hand and her handbag with the other. She'd have thought Genesis would have the sense to be weather-smart, and what really shocked her was that - well, he didn't care how sopping he was.

He only cared about his _hair._

As far as she knew, that was a girl problem - it wasn't something guys normally fussed about. Unless they were incredibly insecure.

Which certainly wasn't Genesis…was it?

He was always so confident, proud - definitely not the type to fuss over trivial things like appearance.

She sneaked a quick glance up at him, seeing his cheeks tinged a deep pink and his hair clinging to his head - not to mention the worried expression on his face.

Genesis? Insecure? _Unconfident?_

She'd need to figure this one out later, that was for sure.

For now, she'd better make use of the time - after all, she did miss their conversations.

They _were_ friends - so naturally, spending time was what they should do.

Even in the rain, minutes before she was meant to be at work.

But that didn't seem to matter now.

"Genesis?" She asked quietly as they stepped in unison through the soaking streets of Midgar.

"…what?" he replied cautiously, feeling incredibly exposed.

"You look fine."

* * *

Sadly, the rest of the day was tedious and uneventful for Cissnei, save for a rather amusing lecture that followed from Tseng as Reno had nearly tipped his coffee down his supervisor's shirt.

She had just wandered back from her tea break, slumping back down into her office chair and letting out a prolonged sigh, seeing some of the papers on her desk flutter as she exhaled. Amongst the scattered sheets was something…odd. Off to one side was a little square piece of paper, adorned with a pretty leafy pattern and vaguely familiar…Banora Whites.

"…purple apples?" She pondered suspiciously, taking hold of the note with a sudden interest that she wasn't conscious of. Quickly her russet eyes scanned the decorative message, her mouth already forming into a smile as she did so.

'_Dear Cissnei,_

_Sorry for my unusual behaviour earlier. I'm glad you happened to show up - it was really wet out there…_

_By the way…thanks for the compliment. _

_- Genesis_

The note was obviously written quickly, with some of the words running into each other in a rather messy black ink. Cissnei laughed in surprise at first, but quickly smothered it in the realisation that fellow employees just might hear her. She couldn't bear it if Reno found out - he'd never let her live it down.

Getting notes from SOLDIERs and all.

People would think something was going on.

Quickly, she tucked it away in one of her many pockets next to her ID, and carefully began to sift through the documents that were left to fill out. All the while, her brain was processing the note that she'd received from him - Genesis Rhapsodos. Did he normally leave cryptic notes about people's desks?

And why bother apologising? It wasn't any problem to her - she'd missed interacting with him.

Unless, of course, he felt _embarrassed_.

Cissnei, in her thoughts, hadn't really considered that - but if he _was_ insecure, then getting caught looking like that probably wouldn't help.

She hummed quickly to herself, one of her hands fingering some of her extra curly curls that had resulted from the excess rain.

Gaia, why was she even thinking about him this way? Was it something friends did? Try to analyse each other's problems and figure them out?

Cissnei had never really had that kind of bonding with anybody before - she wasn't that close to anybody within the Turks, and no, Reno didn't count. He was friendly with _everybody_.

Besides, everyone else was so closed up it was hard to get to know them anyway.

"We're a troubled lot," she mumbled to herself, staring off into space as her gaze rested on a rather dull piece of wall.

But Genesis - he was kind of open with her. She hadn't met him until that mission, yet something had sparked - enough to trigger another friendship. That was something she valued - friends were few and far between in her position, especially being the youngest around.

Cissnei yawned.

All this deep thinking was giving her a tension headache - maybe she'd better let it go for now. After all, she was only fifteen and apparently girls her age needed far more rest than she was getting.

She would see where this would take her, though. SOLDIERs never really bothered much with the Turks, unless they were forced to work together.

And here she was, getting friendly with one.

Oh, the irony.

* * *

A/N: asdasfsafsd. I so loved writing that one. Believe meeeee. -giggle- Anyway, the next chapter, I promise you, will be packed full of _more_ Genesisnei. Yus, even more. If that's possible. XD

Anyway, really hope anybody who's actually bothered to read this is enjoying it!

If you _are_ reading it, speak up! D; -flail- I have no idea who's following this…having no feedback at all is discouraging… so even if it's just a sentence, make yourself known! 8DDDD

Ahem.

Thanks. XD

-hoping she doesn't sound demanding-,  
- Lioneh the cheetion

AND NOBODY IS TO REPOST THIS STORY ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I've come across a number of people doing this recently with other stories I've done…and most of them didn't even leave credit! DDD;


	6. Amorous

A/N: This chapter? Read it. Readreadreaddddd!

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei, Reno and Final Fantasy VII belong entirely to Square Enix.**

**I own the pine tree. :3  
**

* * *

'_Imaginings of You - _Chapter Six

Amorous

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"No, _Reno_, put your hand _here._"

"Ohh…sorry, yo…"

"It's no wonder you haven't got a proper date."

"You don't either, y'know."

Cissnei felt her cheeks flush and decided not to argue - it wasn't worth it with Reno.

"See? You can't hide ya disappointment from me," the cocky Turk teased, slapping a toothy grin on his face as he attempted to give Cissnei a twirl. Much to her displeasure she obliged, feeling her lightly coloured dress flaring at the bottom as she spun around on her heel. Her shoes slipped a little bit as she assumed the correct dancing position again, triggering a smirk from Reno.

"How's Rude?" Cissnei sighed in slight irritation, leading Reno through the steps again instead of the other way around.

"Doin' okay," Reno replied casually, "he managed to snag a date this time around. Gotta feel happy for the guy."

A smile graced Cissnei's face - Rude, sadly, wasn't as tough as he looked; he was pretty sensitive underneath, actually.

Her thoughts thereafter, however, turned into concentration as she and Reno improved their cooperation as the waltz continued, each of their steps finally flowing together.

The time had come again for the annual formal dinner to be held for the staff of ShinRa at the occasion of Christmas, and the turnout had been pretty substantial this year. Cissnei followed this notion by purchasing a pretty dress, constantly nagged and pestered about it by certain people until she agreed. It felt odd to be dressed so lightly - considering she spent most of her time enclosed in a business suit.

She felt different - kind of weightless, like a feather in the wind.

Well, more like a feather _snagged in a tree_, because Reno had let his hands slip and she was now held in a rather uncomfortable position

"Reno…" Cissnei stammered, "your hands."

"Sorry." He said sheepishly, correcting his position. The younger Turk rolled her eyes - it was a wonder he could even handle an Electro-Mag rod without _dropping _it.

For the next few minutes the two simply tried to keep their dance looking normal as Reno finally learned the steps properly, with Cissnei keeping her feet distanced from his so she could avoid being stepped on.

Which had already happened several times.

After a few moments, the redheaded Turk released his grip on Cissnei and contemplated for a moment.

"Hey Ciss, do ya mind? I was gonna go grab Rude over there for a bit of a drink…" Reno mumbled, looking slightly guilty.

"Knock yourself out," she mused, only to see Reno's eyes light up in anticipation.

"Really?" He grinned eagerly.

"No." Cissnei said witheringly, watching him walk away towards one of the tables in fake disappointment. She couldn't help but giggle as she saw him forcing Rude to separate from his date for a little while, seeing the bald man trying to refuse. _Reno's always got the worst timing…_

Bringing her hands beside herself, Cissnei took careful steps towards one of the balconies overlooking the enormous expanse of Midgar, stopping beside one of the fake pine trees situated at the edge of the small gallery.

Silence passed for a few moments as she absorbed the view, seeing lights shining out of nearly every building.

"Excuse me, madam - would you care for a drink?"

An eloquent voice behind her made Cissnei spin around, only to come face to face with somebody pleasantly familiar.

Genesis Rhapsodos smiled gently, touching her shoulder with care as he offered her a small wineglass.

Instinctively she laughed, relieved to see another familiar face besides her Turk colleagues.

"I…I don't normally go for alcoholic drinks," she stuttered shyly, fidgeting with her hands behind her back.

"Not to worry," he said softly, "I've brought you something more innocent than that. Sparkling apple cider."

"Alright," she sighed light-heartedly, carefully taking hold of the crystal glass with both hands.

Stepping beside her, Genesis relaxed his formal manner as he too stared out into the distance, taking a sip of his own glass.

"Enjoying yourself?" He inquired casually, setting his wineglass down onto the railing of the balcony.

"I think so," she smiled, feeling a chilly breeze swirl about her shoulders.

"You look quite pretty," he said quietly, looking towards her as his mouth quirked in shy smile.

Cissnei felt her heart jump at those words, much to her surprise.

Probably because of the cold.

"You're rather handsome yourself," she returned the compliment, hoping to smooth over her fluttering nervous feelings.

Sadly, her tactic didn't seem to be working. Her heart was beating faster.

She doubted that was the apple cider.

But, what could ha-

"Why thankyou," he smirked, cocking his head to the side and winking at her.

Cissnei felt her breath catch in her throat - she was pretty certain _now_ he was flirting with her.

_And she was enjoying it._

And then, to top it off, the Turk felt heat streak her face. She barely had time to process that she was blushing at his playful tactics before he had already stepped over, gently taking hold of one of her hands.

Genesis took a sweeping bow, lowering his head.

"Care to dance?" He asked softly, tugging an irresistible smile at her.

Oh, _Gaia_, what was she _thinking_? _Irresistible?_

"U-uh, sure," she stuttered, feeling her mouth curve up into a shy smile. Straightening up, Genesis laced the fingers of his left hand through her right and carefully placed his other on her delicate waist. Cissnei followed the notion by resting her hand on his slender shoulder, and before she knew it, both herself and Genesis had placed their feet and started waltzing.

_Wow…_ Cissnei found her mouth forming a small 'o' as she felt Genesis leading the dance with confidence and poise, now guiding her through the steps as the sweet music flowed. _Does he know how to _dance_ or what…_

After a few moments they had waltzed to the centre of the large hall, right into the heart of various other dancing couples.

Forcing herself to tear her gaze away from her feet, Cissnei brought her head up to see Genesis already gazing at her, a pleasant expression on his face.

This only lasted for a split second as he realised what he was doing, quickly adjusting his gaze to her eyes as she allowed herself to smile back at him. Slowly and evenly they danced in unison, which Cissnei gratefully appreciated - at least her feet were free from being untimely stepped on.

And for the next few minutes, that was how the sequence went - one step carefully placed after another in a graceful waltz, each in time to the melodious song in the background.

"So then," Genesis murmured tenderly, flashing her a small grin. Cissnei took a moment to respond - she was mesmerised by all the sights and sounds of the dance hall, the chandeliers glistening a warm light, the various other duos of dancers swaying side to side, the way Genesis' hair seemed to fall over his delicate features in such a gorgeous way…

Quickly jolting herself from her rather irrational thoughts, Cissnei felt her feet stumble a tiny bit before she was able to respond.

"Y-you dance really well," she faltered shyly, looking up at him as he smoothly led her through the waltz.

"Better than Reno, hmm?" He inquired with a chuckle, seeing her narrow her eyes in response.

The Turk then managed a nod in return, giggling to herself at Reno's previous attempts to manage a respectable dance.

Genesis smiled, slowly removing his hand from her waist as an indication for her to spin.

"Go on," he pressed, side stepping slightly, "have a twirl, then."

Cissnei obliged, feeling her dress flaring as she spun around on her heel, hearing a whistle from the idle bystanders who were observing. Instantly heat flooded her cheeks as Genesis drew her small frame close again, noticing she felt rather self-conscious of other people watching.

Sensing her exposure, Genesis guided her further along the dance floor, away from the groups of chatting ShinRa employees to near another balcony further along.

She smiled gratefully, and the SOLDIER gave her right hand a gentle squeeze as their rather impressive dance slowed down with the music.

Cissnei barely noticed herself tuck her head into his shoulder, feeling entranced as they enjoyed each other's presence in an ever-slowing dance. In her misty thoughts she smiled, feeling his body heat gently radiating around her, his strong yet delicate hands holding her so tenderly, his warm breath trailing down her neck…

She suppressed a gasp, now realising he too was resting his own head on hers - she could feel his silky tresses mingling with her own…

Their dance had practically slowed down to a very gentle sway with the occasional step, and she wasn't even sure if that was just her imagination.

Time had seemed to freeze in this moment - all Cissnei could focus on was his quiet breathing and her own, resonating with her ever faster beating heart.

She swallowed - it was plain to see that friends never got this close.

But there was something about this moment that felt so natural, so _wonderful_, so…

Unfortunately, the silence was broken as Genesis tensed, and Cissnei heard him gritting his teeth as he slowly withdrew from their rather close position.

Immediately Cissnei's eyes flooded with concern as she saw him craning his neck around to look at his left shoulder, seeing his eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"You okay?" She asked timidly, trailing her hand over his right shoulder with care in an attempt to add comfort.

Genesis managed a nod in response, his lips pressed tightly together as he gave a quick smile in an attempt to reassure her. _What a way to kill a moment_… he thought bitterly, trying to relax as the stabbing pains in his shoulder ebbed away.

"Maybe you should sit down," Cissnei gushed quickly, feeling her maternal instincts at work as Genesis absently rubbed his shoulder.

"…alright," he mumbled, slipping his hand through hers as they stepped over to the petite balcony extending from the building.

Relieved for both his sake and her own, Cissnei took a seat on the wide railing, seeing a wince from Genesis as he cautiously leaned against it with one hand supporting himself.

She took a moment to admire another view of the glowing mako city, her thoughts mingling with her emotions as she processed the last few moments.

She'd been dancing, talking with him like any other person might, but _how_ did she end up so close? She never dreamed - no, never even _imagined_ being in such a proximity with him, Genesis.

But, how…_why_ did she? Friends - colleagues would _never_-

Something damp brushed her skin, making a shiver run down her spine and quickly interrupting her frantic series of thoughts.

Cissnei glanced upward, then gasped.

"Snow?" She pondered innocently, seeing tiny snowflakes drifting though the crisp night air.

Genesis was now also looking skyward after seeing white flecks on his suit, his face a mix of confusion and delight as he saw them dancing on the updrafts.

"So it seems," he murmured, a delicate smile curving his lips upward.

Instinctively Cissnei shivered as a chilly breeze swept around her, sweeping her hair off her shoulders.

"It…reminds me…" she found herself mumbling, the little flecks of snow mingling with the vast blankets of white that she was seeing in her mind's eye from her sights at Icicle Inn.

"…of when we met," Genesis finished quietly, slipping into a sitting position beside the Turk. "…_the wind sails over the water's surface…"_

"Hm?" Cissnei mumbled, looking at him curiously. _Wait - what? He finished…my sentence…_

"…_quietly, but surely."_ The SOLDIER's face was a mix of contemplation - that was how their relationship had been developing - it was ever so subtle, but happening so certainly without he or Cissnei even realising it.

Funny how that should occur.

Cissnei drew her sights back down to see Genesis already gazing at her inquisitively, his eyes trailing over her features.

Oddly, she found herself watching him back, their eyes locked.

It happened slowly at first - she wasn't even sure what was going on as she found herself leaning closer, ever so slightly…

_Wait_, her mind urged her, though she paid no attention, _what's…what's-_

A moment later, all reason was whisked from her mind as she felt the tentative sensation of _his lips_ on her own-

Hold on…_his lips!?_

But that thought slipped away, like a leaf on a bubbling stream - her eyes fluttered shut, and her world imploded on itself - this was defying all logic she had ever conjured up between them.

She was lost in the thrill, the gentle touch of his mouth, the overpowering emotions that had taken hold…

Genesis found his arm slipping carefully around her waist as he_ kissed her_, while his other had gently cupped her chin, feeling her soft skin beneath his fingertips.

Cissnei felt his tender hands cradling her, drawing her closer - her heart was thumping inside her chest as their lips melted together in a sweet sensation she found herself desperately wanting more of-

But as their kiss deepened, reality began to tug at the back of her mind - and in mere moments realisation had hit her like a brick wall.

What on Gaia was she _doing!?_

She was - she was - oh goddess she was _kissing Genesis Rhapsodos!_

_What am I even _thinking!? She thought frantically, backing off slightly as their lips touched again - _I can't be - we were…we were…_

That was when she'd had enough.

Drawing back quickly, Cissnei felt her face flush furiously as she took a deep breath, her russet eyes wide in shock. She felt Genesis release his hold around her - seeing him almost as dumbstruck as she was - but she wasn't sure if they were sharing the same thoughts.

"W-we were just…we were just…" she stammered breathlessly, finding it difficult to form the words as she stared back at him, face as red as a crimson rose.

"Y-yeah," Genesis breathed nervously, his cheeks scarlet too - how had he let himself do that? _How?_

"I-I…I mean….it was….w-we were…" she faltered, her mind racing as she tried to sort out the emotional mess running riot inside of her. This had been completely unexpected - she'd never _dreamed_ of…of kissing him! Let alone dancing with him - or even _seeing_ him!

"I-I…I'm sorry," he stammered tentatively, bowing his head in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have…"

Cissnei swallowed nervously - her heart was thumping in her ears, her hands were quivering, her face felt like it was on fire. If - if this was _love_-

Instantly she rejected the thought - it couldn't possibly be. She wasn't even ready - not for something like that yet…was she?

Meanwhile, Genesis was biting his lip in frustration - almost as a self punishment for letting himself kiss her. That was probably her first time! Oh, he should have _known_ - no wonder he'd always waited to see her, always made an effort to look out for her during the working day. He should know all too well it was - well, _love_ - it wasn't like it was a foreign feeling to him.

But Cissnei - oh, he felt like he'd taken her innocence away.

But that was silly - it was just a kiss-

Genesis clenched his fist, trying to drive the mental debate that he was having with himself away - it wouldn't help.

"Let's…j-just be…" Cissnei murmured, bringing the SOLDIER from his manic thoughts.

"…what?" Genesis whispered gently, daring to make eye contact again.

"Friends." The Turk mumbled shyly, "just…for now."

Genesis nodded - he understood - she…probably wasn't ready for this.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod, more confidence in his voice. "Friends, hey?"

"Mm." Cissnei smiled slightly, though her thoughts were somewhere else. _Friends…I'd always said that…_

_Are things…ever going to be the same?_

Little did she know - their drama had only just begun.

* * *

A/N: O. M. G.

I have no words for this.

-loveloveloveloveessthischaptertobits-

KYAAAHHHHHHHHH ~

Reviews appreciated!! 8D

- Lioneh the cheetion.


	7. Festivities

A/N: HUZZAH! This is now officially the longest chapter story I've ever written! 8DD GO READ!~ This chapter is funny xD

**Disclaimer: Anything to do with Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei, Reno or Final Fantasy VII belongs entirely to Square Enix.**

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'_Imaginings of You' - _Chapter 7

Festivities

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"What a mess…" Cissnei murmured, suppressing the smile which pulled at her lips - was it a mess? Were _they_ in a mess?

She sighed, burying her face into her arms as heat danced across her cheeks, igniting them as a crimson shade tinted her skin. She was quite thankful nobody was here to see her, or else she'd be in a flustered muddle incapable of proper speech and even stringing together a comprehensible sentence would have been an impossible task.

And that was saying something - normally her speech was quite formal and well-refined. Especially in comparison to her _some _of her Turk comrades. But she wasn't mentioning any names, of course.

Cissnei, in the state that she was, hadn't even bothered to get out of her dress before collapsing onto her bed in her private quarters, doing something quite immature - laughing like she'd never laughed before.

She wasn't even sure _why_ she was giggling like some preppy, stuck up teenager - she felt odd.

She'd tried to put her finger on it, contemplated for several minutes as she'd sat on the edge of her bed, picking at a rough edge on one of her nails.

Sadly, she was too dazed and foggy in the head to think like a Turk should, so in the end, she'd given up.

And now her mind just wouldn't stop _irritating her_, tempting her with the strange happenings of only hours before. Her thoughts picked over and over the scene, that…that enchanting look in his eyes, the pause, and then - she swallowed - that _kiss._

She compulsively brought a hand to her lips as she travelled the memory, her mind awash with confusion, reeling with enjoyment and yet, clouded by a daze.

Since they'd parted ways, albeit rather awkwardly, she just _couldn't _shake it - her mind misted up, and it was like she was walking through a dream… she'd had a few nibbles on food, said her goodnights, and even dismissing a drunken Reno didn't seem all that consequential - even if he'd feel it in the morning.

But what _happened_?

Over, over and over again Cissnei had kept on telling herself _they were friends_, but she had obviously been blinded to her own emotions. Here she was, a sharp minded, qualified Turk - and she hadn't even recognised her own _feelings!?_

"No," she snapped at herself, "not feelings, no…"

She let out an exasperated sigh - _come on, girl - face it._

"Goddess…" she bit her lip, fidgeting, "…I don't really _love_ him, do I?"

* * *

That was the eternal question.

But the infinite mystery became irrelevant and pushed to the back of Cissnei's mind during the following week in the lead up to Christmas - six days, four days, three days, two…

Was it two already? Two days?

Cissnei groaned. That meant, for yet another Christmas, she was _stranded_ at a certain redhead's apartment - Reno. The ShinRa building closed temporarily during two days before and after the holiday in question, and the higher ups had failed to consider what to do with the employees who boarded at the building - like herself. Reno, being the 'kind gentleman' that he was, had let her stay at his apartment nearby for the last few years until she earned enough to rent her own.

Not that she'd be doing that _just_ yet - why reject when he always offered?

A smiled pulled at Cissnei's mouth. She slipped the last piece of paperwork into her 'out' tray, leaving her with, finally, an empty 'in' slot above. Pitiful relief filled her heart - her desk was finally _clear_.

Of course, the feelings were short lived - Christmas was not the most festive time of Cissnei's year. Growing up without a family shed little happiness on the events of Christmas - as a child she lacked the buzzing around the evening beforehand, wondering what her presents were…waking her parents up in the morning to check the tree…tearing open the wrapping, eyes alight with excitement. As she entered her teenage years the very longing for a normal Christmas faded, and now at fifteen she wasn't even fussed.

Though, she didn't _completely _forget the season - in her older years she would leave _some_ kind of gift, a present of some description on her fellow employees' desks, though she never really received much in return.

She sighed - it was just in her nature to be considerate.

Occasionally, though, she got presents - maybe a card, a bit of gil, or perhaps a candy cane - but that was generally about it.

But it didn't matter. She had the revenue to buy whatever she needed - so she didn't mind.

Cissnei emitted a wide yawn, stretching her arms high above her head - maybe she would enjoy her short break over Christmas, even if it were only a few days. As long as Reno didn't irritate her too much, it might actually turn out nicely.

She nodded to herself, then slowly edged her way out of her office chair, feeling her muscles complain - she was going to have a nice,_ long _relax tomorrow.

She glanced around the room, seeing most of the other desks vacant - save for a few of her fellow Turks still remaining hunched over their desks. Speaking of which-

"Ciss-nei!" Reno chirped, swinging the door wide open as he entered the space beside her desk.

"Give me a minute," she sighed, scooping up a few of her belongings from the table .

"Going somewhere?" The other Turk probed cheekily, seeing her then rolling a miniature suitcase from underneath her desk.

"To _your_ place," she replied, making a 'no duh' face at him.

Reno just laughed, giving his head of untidy scarlet hair a shake. "Just messin' with ya," he chuckled.

_Like always…_ Cissnei mentally groaned, suppressing the urge to give him a shove as she pushed her chair in.

"Ready yet?" He asked mindlessly, seeing her checking the suitcases' contents.

"Clearly, no." She mumbled.

"Ready _yet?"_ He repeated seconds later.

"No."

"How about now?"

"Nope."

"…now?"

"For goodness sake, I never will be at this rate…" Cissnei hissed, feeling unusually annoyed at her fellow colleague.

"I'm gonna leave without yoouu!" Reno teased, taking a few steps towards the doorway. Cissnei, out of irritation, shoved him hard in the back, feeling a smirk edging the corners of her mouth as Reno let out a feigned gasp.

"She's getting violent!" He howled, much too loud for Cissnei's liking.

"And who influenced me?" She replied smugly, brushing past him through the doorway with her possessions. Reno opened his mouth to answer, but discovered he could not reply without bringing disgrace to himself.

"You win," he growled playfully, trailing behind her as they headed for the lifts.

"And that leaves our score at 57 to 4," she replied airily, smiling to herself as the elevator arrived and opened with a characteristic 'ding'. Both Turks stepped inside, fondly looking upon the numbers that ticked down on the screen inside, indicating they were closer to their short-term Christmas breaks.

Just as Reno stretched out his hands to press multiple buttons on the elevator's side, Cissnei shot out her own and grabbed his wrist.

"_Don't_ do anything stupid." Cissnei warned wearily, "not today."

"Aww…" Reno whimpered, "can't I _ever _have a bit of fun around you, yo?"

Cissnei ignored him, lowering his wrist back to beside his waist as the elevator continued to glide down the shaft.

"I'll take that…" he mumbled, absently staring at the walls around him, "as a no."

_Right you are,_ Cissnei thought, silently reflecting on the last time Reno did something as irresponsible as that - maintenance had to rescue them from their elevator jammed between floors 34 and 35. It wasn't a terribly enlightening experience.

Following her contemplation she was incredibly relieved to have the lift doors glide open to reveal the spacious foyer of the ShinRa building, which was, unusually, filled with bustling employees.

Reno stepped back, allowing Cissnei to step out of the elevator first and savour the first moments of their small vacation. He smiled to himself, thinking he was quite the gentleman.

"Off we go," he mused, hurriedly taking the lead as the duo made their way down the extensive staircase that led to the ground. Well, not the _actual_ ground, considering they were suspended on a plate high above the surface of Gaia…

Right behind him, Cissnei placed her feet on each step, surprised at how weary she seemed to be - _come _on_, you're fifteen, this should be easier-_

"…Cissnei?"

"Wha?" She stumbled down the last stair, seeing Reno stride on ahead - _where did that voice come from?_

"Over here," the familiar tone inclined. Cissnei turned her head to see _Genesis Rhapsodos_ waiting just by the wall, dressed in his normal uniform, save for a black scarf that was tied snugly around his neck.

"Genesis," she nodded shyly, stepping over to him as he chuckled a little.

"Here." Genesis said softly, taking her hands and pushing an object into her palms. "Merry Christmas."

Cissnei observed the book quizzically, only then taking the time to read the cover - _LOVELESS?_

"One of my favourites…so, I thought," he murmured to her, "you might…like a copy - just to read."

Disguising her reddening cheeks, the Turk quickly flicked through the pages, gathering this happened to be the SOLDIER's most treasured book title. Now that she recalled, he _had_ quoted from it several times previously…ands she hardly dared to imagine the price - just seeing the book's quality, its leather bound cover - _he really shouldn't have…_

'You will…read it, won't you?" Genesis inquired, feeling somewhat nervous - nobody seemed to take an interest in the ancient epic nowadays.

Cissnei looked back up at him, seeing hints of worry edging on his face. It was then, just _seeing_ him, that sparked the question to invade her mind again - _love…?_

Without a second thought she embraced him, savouring the sweet moment for a second or two before she released him from the hug.

"Of course," she smiled, seeing his tense expression melt into one of relief - she even spied pink tinging his cheeks.

Genesis couldn't help but smile back, almost wishing he could pull her in for a longer embrace - but there were probably too many people around. So, he settled the matter by slipping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze - hoping it was okay on Cissnei's part. He then gave her a playful push as a signal to get going, unable to stop himself from grinning.

"Thanks," he said gratefully, nodding.

"Merry Christmas, Gen…Oh!" Cissnei brought a hand to her mouth in surprise, "I mean, um, Genesis."

She felt embarrassment replace her confused emotions regarding him, wishing she could suddenly vanish because of her informal speech.

He chuckled, smirking. "Have a good holiday…_Ciss_."

Genesis then turned on his heel and proceeded to walk away, even though he wished he could stay with her for the next hour, just talking, spending time, laughing…

Cissnei felt her mouth open slightly in surprise as the SOLDIER departed, wondering at their sudden change in addressing each other…_since _when_ did it become _nicknames?

"And they call _me_ slow!" Reno chortled, striding back to his fellow Turk moments later. "What was that all about, with him?"

"N-nothing," Cissnei stammered, her face hot with embarrassment as she tucked LOVELESS away underneath her jacket, "he just wished me a good Christmas. You know Genesis, he talks to all the gir-"

Reno's chuckling cut her off mid-sentence. "You are _really bad _at lying, you know?"

He put up a hand to stop her from retorting. "Don't worry, your secret's _safe with me_."

"Reno!" Cissnei griped, squirming in her place as the redheaded Turk continued to snigger. "I _do not_ lik-"

"Better hurry up before I tell somebody, yo!" Reno called to her, already walking back across the foyer to the doorways.

Cissnei, feeling rather flustered, gathered her belongings and stormed behind him, her face flushed, her cheeks crimson.

_I think I've answered my question, you know._

_Love?_

_Yes._

* * *

"Want coffee?"

"Pardon?"

"I _said_," Reno growled from the kitchen, "do you want coffee?"

"Um…" Cissnei trailed off, her mind far away from the subject of beverages, buried deep within the first few pages of the book Genesis had given her - LOVELESS.

"You'll get nothin' in three, two-"

"Alright, yes!" She snapped, desperately trying to concentrate.

"Sugars?"

"…three."

"Cissnei on a _sugar high?_" Reno poked his head through the doorway of the lounge room, "why the sudden change?"

"Just make it sweet," Cissnei sighed quietly, waving her hand to send him away.

"As your majesty demands…" Reno mumbled as he walked away, dusting his hands on his pair of worn, black jeans.

"Peace…" she murmured, shifting about in her chair. Not that her mind was really at rest, in fact, it was being rather disobedient - it kept taunting her with images of Genesis whispering the lines of poetry in her ear, murmuring them to her softly, caressing her hai-

Cissnei took in a sharp breath as she flicked over to the next page with her index finger, frantically trying to dismiss the 'inappropriate' thoughts from her mind - quite frankly, they were scaring her.

She'd never ever, ever, _ever_ thought that way about _anybody_-

"My princess, your cofffeee!" Reno sang loudly, stepping into the room and shoving the mug underneath her nose. Thankful for the distraction, Cissnei carefully took hold of the steaming beverage and set it down on the coffee table beside her, much too involved with LOVELESS to risk burning her tongue.

"You're not seriously _reading_ that, are you?" The redhead chuckled, taking a quick swig of straight black coffee from his mug.

"So what if I am?" Cissnei mumbled irritably, looking furtively at the elegant words on the page.

"Can't be that interesting…" Reno mused to himself, "just poetry…I'd rather see it live - get it over and done with faster…"

"Well, no surprise with you," she replied quietly, "you never really learned to appreciate good literature…"

"But you're not exactly a bookworm yourself, are you?" He inquired, flicking on the television across the room. "Or has that Rhapsodos been rubbing off on you?"

Cissnei ducked her head at the name, immediately wishing she didn't as Reno laughed at her embarrassed position.

"Don't forget about the coffee I slaved over for you, either." Reno said tauntingly.

Cissnei gave him a level glare from across the room and took a hesitant sip of her sweet coffee, surprised at the taste difference - was it originally that bitter with just one teaspoon?

She took another mouthful, savouring the pleasant taste before swallowing.

A smile crept onto her face as she glanced over at the television screen, seeing the ShinRa news taking a quick glance at the festivity around Midgar - clearly, the city was in a Christmas spirit.

Even Reno had a stingy tree set in the corner of the room, little red fairy lights scattered over the plastic branches - _red lights…so vibrant…_

Cissnei immediately clamped down on her thoughts as they began to wander, resisting the urge to physically slap herself. If she kept thinking that way about - about Genesis, she was bound to mess up if she was on duty-

"Earth to Cissnei?"

"Huh?"

"It's alright, I know what you're thinking…" Reno smirked, his lips forming an 'o' as he produced a wolf whistle. "Or rather, _who_ you're thinking of…"

Cissnei quickly set her copy of LOVELESS down and grabbed a pillow, hurling it right at the other Turk's face. "You-!"

"Hey, hey, calm down, Ciss!" Reno laughed, hitting the pillow away as Cissnei prepared another one. By now her face had turned a deep shade of crimson, and even _she _couldn't stop herself from giggling.

She then brought the readied pillow to her head, burying her reddened face into the soft fabric and just _laughing, _hunching over on the chair.

_Oh, how am I ever going to _survive_ these next few days…?

* * *

_

A/N: Awww, poor Cissnei XDDD Reno just won't stop teasing her…

Anyway, I found this chapter quite challenging to write, as their wasn't as much romance as I had hoped for…but believe me, there will be so much more in the chapters to come 8D

And Gen's so romantic.

Giving her LOVELESS for Christmas.

X3333;

And I adored writing Reno - please don't be mad if I refer to him too much, as all the other BC Turks don't really have official 'names', so, um, yeah. -sweatdrop- xD

Anyway, until next time! [Reviews are love, and really appreciated!]

-whispers- they boost my incredibly low ego…go on…

XDDD

- Lioneh


	8. Confessions

A/N: omg. This chapter was amazing to write. I swear, romance overload *w* asads. So cute.

What are you waiting for!?

GO READ. :'D

**Disclaimer: Anything to do with Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei, Reno or Final Fantasy VII belongs entirely to Square Enix.**

**

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'_Imaginings of You'_ - Chapter 8

Confessions  
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A damp misty chill hung over the sprawling city that morning - the diffusion of the familiar turquoise glow ebbing from the mako reactors almost seemed to enhance the festivity. It dared to mingle with the lights scattered across the buildings, mixing with hues of red and green sparkling from nearby shop windows, even clouding out the contaminated sky - somehow, on this one, single day of the year, all the troubles of Midgar were forgotten.

She tilted her head upwards, admiring the huge tree that spiralled into the mist, adorned with lights and ornaments of all kinds - this was probably the most attractive one in the entire city. Or maybe it only seemed so because her spirits were lifted - after all, she'd only seen one so far, and it was only Sector 8.

She might have gone further, exploring the other districts, were it nor for her lack of company - Reno had left earlier that morning to find Rude - and Cissnei had her suspicions that eggnog was involved. She supposed it was in her best interests to stay out for a while, even if she had the keys to the apartment - there was no use staying inside.

Cissnei took a few slow steps forward, admiring the imitation pine tree as it slowly became adorned with a blanket of white - tufts of snow drifted down from the heavens, much to the delight of a few children who were running around.

Of course, her peaceful moment was short lived - her vision became suddenly obscured as a Christmas hat was forced gently on her head.

"You looked cold." A quiet voice murmured near her ear as she hurriedly pulled the fluffy rim above her eyes. Hesitantly, her eyes darted in the direction of the voice, feeling a warm presence now directly behind her.

"Gen?" She inquired quizzically.

"Who else?"

Genesis smirked, stepping closer to her and adjusting the hat which now rested awkwardly upon the head of his intended recipient.

"Good Christmas?" He wondered, looking down at her small frame.

"Comparatively speaking, yes." She replied calmly, contemplating the morning so far - she was woken up by Reno with a quick exchanging of gifts, and then he was gone, a droopy Christmas hat resting lopsidedly on his head as he made for the door. She was quite used to his quick exits by now, so nothing worried her - unless he was off to spread his inklings about her and Genesis to Rude…

"Comparatively speaking?" His puzzled expression caught her off guard, but Cissnei chose to brush his curiosity off.

"Yeah."

His eyebrows furrowed at her guarded speech - _what does she mean by that?_

"Yours?" She asked kindly, her brown eyes meeting his blue, startling him.

Genesis quickly gathered his wits - exactly that, in fact. "My friend, Angeal…got a puppy."

He laughed at her shocked face, his teeth forming into a grin. "Not literally, no. He'd had a letter sitting on the table for a few days addressed to him from our Director, you see. So, he opened it this morning, and Lazard had decided to give him another second class to mentor for the new year…oh, what was that description he gave him…" Genesis trailed off, scratching his chin in feigned thought. "Ah, it was - 'boisterous, noisy and excitable'. Bound to keep the man on his toes - Angeal spends too long keeping a serious face."

Cissnei let out the giggle she was holding, surprised to see Genesis chuckling too - a pleasant tingle darted through her spine as she felt the quickened rise and fall of his chest beside her, indicating his close proximity.

"I was surprised to see Lazard had some humour in him after all," he mused, his delicate lips forming into a smirk.

Cissnei nodded, "he certainly sounds better than my supervisors - don't try cracking a joke at Tseng. Chances are, he'll ignore you, or won't get what you're playing at."

"Cissnei!" Genesis gasped, mocking a shocked expression, "you're turning rebellious!"

In response to his playful tactics the young Turk blushed, almost wishing she could hide underneath the Christmas hat planted on her head.

"Reno was right - you _are_ rubbing off on me," Cissnei reflected wryly, smiling to herself.

"He said that?" Genesis smirked slightly.

"Mm. He thinks…he thinks that there's something going on." Cissnei was incredibly surprised this was spilling out - just because she'd made her decision regarding her questions didn't mean that- she had to-

"Going on?" Genesis murmured, picking up on the uncertainty in her voice.

"Between you and me." Cissnei ducked her head in embarrassment - she didn't intend to bring this up! Wouldn't he get the wrong idea? Her mind reeled with too many questions as seconds edged by - each one seemed like a lifetime.

"Maybe…" Genesis dropped his voice to a soft whisper, "maybe there is…you know."

Cissnei felt his warm hand touch the base of her chin, lifting her head to meet his curious eyes. She felt her cheeks on fire as she looked into his surprisingly handsome face, noting his elegant features, the reddish tinge dancing upon his chestnut hair as the lights above them flickered - everything about him was so-

By then, Genesis had already gently leaned his head down, leaving Cissnei with a moment to expect what he was going to do - her eyes fluttered shut just as she felt his warm breath caressing her neck. The few moments lasted for what seemed much longer; unexpectedly, she felt his soft lips come to rest on her cheek instead of her mouth, and despite herself, relief flooded through her.

Drawing back, the SOLDIER then moved his toned forearms around her shoulders and brought her into a tight hug, thankful that she didn't seem to object.

"I thought…" Cissnei began, mumbling into his shoulder.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted that - if you were ready," Genesis murmured hesitantly, "I didn't want to do anything you…weren't comfortable with."

She couldn't find any words to say in response - the respect he had for her was blowing her mind.

Fortunately, her stunned silence hardly worried Genesis - he could almost predict what she was thinking, particularly with the little experience that she had. He chuckled.

"Oh, Cissnei…" he said softly, smiling, "…you are so mature on the outside, yet…you're so new, when it comes to love."

Cissnei mustered the courage to speak. "I…I'm sorry,"

"It's cute," he whispered, leaning his head on hers. "You have nothing to apologise for."

She would have readily objected to that statement were it not for the lapse in concentration she was suffering - she'd never taken the time to notice just how _nice _he felt, the way his arms seemed to hold her, the steady beat of his heart against her ear…

A few more seconds passed as Cissnei was lost in the warmth of his embrace, completely oblivious to anything and everything going on around her - hardly helpful in terms of skills for a Turk.

Not that it mattered to her at that point in time.

Genesis couldn't help but smile has he kept her close, enjoying this just as much as she was - it didn't matter to him how long they shared this moment, not in the least.

The few people outside seemed to have dispersed during their meeting, leaving Sector 8 quiet except for the sound of trickling water by the fountain and the distant hum of Christmas carols in the air. It was calm, tranquil - strangely peaceful for Midgar, as was the growing bond between SOLDIER and Turk - the two divisions seldom cooperated well.

Clearly, it seemed Genesis and Cissnei were exempt from this assumption.

Eventually, Genesis slackened his hold around her small shoulders, edging away from her slightly before he let himself to go further than hugs. He would allow her to make the first moves - always.

"Warm now?" He smirked, noting the heated blush running across Cissnei's cheeks as she too stepped back.

She made a face at him. "What do you think, Sherlock?"

"Could I say your _lips_ seem blue?" Genesis chuckled at her embarrassed expression. "You know I'm only joking, Ciss."

"Who says you are?" Cissnei feigned a serious tone, looking judgemental as she crossed her arms. "I'm inclined to think not."

"If I were, hypothetically speaking, to mean that your lips were cold then," he smirked, taking a step towards her, "would I then be allowed to…?" He touched a finger to her chin, tilting her head upwards.

"You mean…" Cissnei trailed off with fake contemplation, "…this?" She moved to the balls of her feet, lightly kissing his smooth lips.

He was quite taken by surprise - he wasn't truly expecting that.

"Yes," she answered his bewildered expression, a playful smile dancing on her face. "But I daresay I did the hard work already."

"You never cease to amaze me," Genesis breathed, moving his hand along her soft cheek. "May I?" He mouthed, feeling hesitant.

"Don't they look warm enough to you?" She whispered, leaning closer so their foreheads touched.

"I'd need to test that."

Genesis touched his lips to hers, moving his mouth gently over her own as they kissed, both lost in the sensation of one another. His cerulean eyes closed, his hands finding her waist and her neck; tentatively he brought her closer, feeling her heart fluttering like the wings of a bird. This time, no panic gripped Cissnei - she allowed herself to let go, her soul lost in the way his lips caressed her own.

There was no doubt in her mind anymore, not a single hesitation - _she was completely, utterly in love._

And, for the very first time in her life, Cissnei knew what _real_ love felt like - and she couldn't get enough. So much so that when she drew back, she found herself breathing in just a little _too_ much air - surely they weren't…not for that long?

Genesis laughed, his breathing coming at a pace slightly more controlled than herself, but accelerated none the less.

'I think we can safely say that your temperature is of no concern now," he chuckled, his expression glowing despite himself.

"Case closed," Cissnei smiled, winking at him.

A moment later, a faint buzz reached their ears - and by the time it finished, Genesis had already produced a sleek, red phone from his pocket.

"One second," he murmured, flipping it open with a snap. "Oh."

"Hm?" Cissnei pondered, looking up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"He's got no _patience_!" Genesis produced a feigned growl through his teeth, snapping the PHS closed. He began to pace.

"What's the matter, Genesis…?"

"Just _Angeal_," he snorted, shoving a hand in his pocket. "He was the reason I came out this morning. Wanted some wine. He's 'concerned for my whereabouts'."

Cissnei inhaled sharply, eyes wide. "Sorry!"

"Don't say that," he murmured, resting a hand on her shoulder, "I wouldn't have missed our time together for anything today."

"Still, you'd - you'd better get going," she mumbled, her russet eyes concerned.

He nodded. "Shall I see you at work?"

"I wish sooner," she murmured.

"As do I," he bowed his head, glowering at the inconvenience of Angeal's unnecessary messages.

Unable to help herself at his dejected expression, Cissnei gave him a peck on the cheek in hopes of seeing him smile again. "I suppose…it's only a few days."

Just as she wished, the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "Even so…" He snapped his PHS open again, his fingers whizzing across the keypad as he searched for his phonebook. "It's about time you had this."

She peered over to look at his screen, seeing his contact details staring back at her. "…thank you."

Seconds later, she was entering his number into her keypad and saving it under his name. With a few button pressed, she then displayed her number to him. He did likewise, copying her details down.

"A few days shouldn't matter now." Genesis flashed her a grin.

"Of course not." She smirked, slipping her PHS back into her jeans pocket.

Another buzz vibrated in the SOLDIER's hand.

"Better get going," Cissnei giggled, seeing his exasperated expression.

"Indeed, before he decides to _kill me_," Genesis mumbled, irritation evident in his voice. He hesitated for a moment, then took a step towards her, looking vaguely hopeful.

Cissnei had no trouble reading his expression. She slipped her arms around his waist, feeling as if she were back home again.

"Farewell, my Cissnei." He breathed into her scented hair, hugging her tightly.

"Love you," she whispered back, knowing even _he_ would be suffering from a reddened face by now. She smiled at the thought.

Their moment lasted only another second as Genesis reluctantly let her go, wishing he wasn't forced to depart. _Angeal, you're _dead_ when I get back. I'll give you _wine_, alright. Or should I say _whine?

"I'll see you," Cissnei murmured, oblivious to his angered thoughts.

Genesis dismissed his inner monologue and nodded at her, quickly gathering his composure again. Just as she turned around to leave, he couldn't resist one last parting phrase.

"_Nothing shall forestall my return,"_ he whispered in her ear, hearing her inhale quickly as she gasped in surprise. She didn't turn around, but gave him the answer that he was hoping to hear.

"LOVELESS, Act III." She stated simply, smirking to herself as she walked away.

Genesis smiled broadly, unable to help himself.

Maybe she was the one, after all.

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap. Pause. Tap. Tap.

"…no, she'll never read that."

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Long pause. Tap.

"Too cliché."

Tap. Tap. _Buzz_.

"…what?"

Tap.

_To: Genesis Rhapsodos_

_From: Cissnei_

_Solved any new mysteries, Sherlock?_

_- Ciss_

-- End message --

He stared at his phone, his mouth breaking into a broad grin after a few seconds. He chuckled.

"Looks like she beat me to the honours."

Genesis paused for a moment, contemplating his reply.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap…

He scanned the message.

Tap.

Sent.

* * *

She clutched her phone, feeling a wave of nerves sweep over her as the seconds ticked by.

She'd done it.

And she'd done it _first_.

She was picking up some serious changes in her behaviour.

How she loathed that Reno to be _right_.

Suddenly, a vibration rippled through her PHS.

She flipped it open.

_To: Cissnei_

_From: Genesis Rhapsodos_

_If you would consider my realisation that I love you,  
then why yes, I have._

_I daresay that I'm quite the detective, you know._

_- Genesis_

-- End message --

She giggled.

Her fingers whizzed away while she conjured another message in reply.

* * *

"Genesis, if you don't get your sorry butt out here _right now_-"

"Shoot!" Genesis hissed quietly, cringing at how quickly Sephiroth was losing his temper. He was hiding out in his bedroom, avoiding the preparations for dinner as much as possible. "Cissnei, hurry up! C'mon, send your message, before I get murdered…"

As if on cue, his PHS gave an excited buzz.

"I love you," he whispered in relief, flipping his phone open to the main screen.

_To: Genesis Rhapsodos_

_From: Cissnei_

_Are you now? ;)_

_Alright, then - tell me about LOVELESS, Act IV.  
__Even with the play's transcript I'm finding it difficult  
to properly understand…I hope you don't mind._

_- Ciss_

-- End message --

"GENESIS RHAPSODOS! OUT HERE, _NOW!_"

Genesis growled in frustration, longing to reply to Cissnei's request. No one had ever willingly asked him to explain LOVELESS before - not ever.

But he didn't feel like meeting his maker today, either.

"Alright, Seph! Don't get your hair in a knot!"

He stashed his PHS in his pocket.

_I promise I'll reply as soon as I can. _

_Please understand Cissnei, please understand…_

* * *

She flipped her phone open again, feeling rather stupid - of course he hadn't replied yet.

"I'm sure something just came up…" Cissnei mumbled quietly, sitting on the edge of the sofa. It was late in the afternoon, or so she thought, and snow had completely frosted the windows of the apartment. His last reply was five hours ago…

"Maybe I should call him."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She brought the receiver to her ear.

"Please answer…"

* * *

"Pass me another apple, Se-"

A buzz quivered his jeans pocket.

"Hold it! Bathroom break!" Genesis stuttered, leaving a bewildered Sephiroth in his wake as he dashed from the kitchen and down the hallway. He'd just been doing the laborious task of peeling Banora Whites for the traditional apple pie they just _had to have_ every year.

"What a way to get out of the work…" he heard the General mumbling as he quickly shut the door behind him.

He fumbled with the cell phone, prying it open and bringing it to his ear.

"Cissnei?" _Please let it be her…_

He heard a gasp through the receiver.

"You answered!" Cissnei breathed, feeling a giddy joy run through her.

"I'm _so sorry_, Ciss. You really don't want to get on Sephiroth's bad side, especially when _cooking_ is involved."

"I had no idea he was domestic."

"That's the thing - he isn't." Genesis mumbled.

"Ah."

"Anyway, enough of that," he said, dropping his voice down to a whisper. "I'd better get going. He's bound to get suspicious any minute now."

"Okay, alright," Cissnei stammered, still feeling relieved. "Message me later then. Sorry to interrupt."

"Not at all - don't worry," Genesis murmured quickly. "…I love you, Cissnei."

"You too!" She beamed.

"Farewell," he whispered with an unseen smile, reluctantly disconnecting the call.

Cissnei heard the line drop, and she flipped her PHS closed, crossing her legs on the sofa.

She smiled.

She couldn't _wait_ for his reply.

* * *

A/N: -dies from the cuteness-

I can't believe I didn't have them exchange numbers sooner! Oh well, it made this chapter all that more fun ~ :'D

Hope you enjoyed it - expect more romantic fluff to come in the following chapters!

Reviews very welcome!

- Lioneh


	9. Rhapsody

A/N: …I love Gen's voice…what can I say? |D

**Disclaimer: Anything to do with Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei, Reno or Final Fantasy VII belongs entirely to Square Enix.**

**

* * *

**

'_Imaginings of You' - _Chapter 9

Rhapsody  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_26th of December_

_1999_

_Early mornning. Somewhere in an apartment block._

_- - -_

_Buzz._

Rustle, rustle.

_Buzz._

"…mm…"

_Buzz._

"…w…what?"

_Buzz_.

_Wha…what's goin' on?_

Disgruntled, Cissnei wearily pushed herself into an upright position on her bed, barely conscious as she processed what was interrupting her sleep.

_Buzz._

"…'m comin'…" she mumbled incoherently, her hands shuffling around her bed sheets to find the source of the noise.

_Buzz._

"…phone?"

Her hand darted underneath her pillow, grasping her PHS and snapping it open. It vibrated in her palm. _Aha._

"H…hello?" She croaked, blearily rubbing her russet eyes in a feeble attempt to waken herself faster.

"Did I wake you?" A familiar voice murmured through the receiver, his concern evident.

"Mm…Gen? …well, yeah, but…" she replied hazily, blinking furiously to keep herself awake.

"I'm very sorry…" Genesis mumbled, his voice tainted with heavy regret - he should have waited until morning, he knew it.

"It-it's alright," she yawned, her irritation melting away at the sound of his perfect voice.

"Says she, who yawns," he chuckled warmly.

She smiled, her mind clearing. "I'm just glad to hear you."

"I apologise that I wasn't sooner," he murmured with a tone of annoyance, "but _someone_ kept me working hard the entire evening…"

"Don't worry," Cissnei assured, "I don't mi-- eek!"

"What?" He inquired, his forehead creasing with worry at her sudden cry.

"Just heard a bang," she whispered, her ears focused on the footsteps stumbling through the hallway. "I think…I think it's just Reno. Better hold on a minute or two, Gen."

"Anything for you," Genesis whispered gently, dropping silent.

Cissnei crossed her fingers and stashed herself underneath the covers of her makeshift bed in the guest's room, smothering the light her PHS emitted by disguising it beneath her pillow - hopefully Reno was too drunk to even remember her presence. Then, a light switched on somewhere within the apartment, a stream of brightness highlighting a strip of wall beside her bed. She detected faint mumblings which were apparently coming from Reno as he struggled to make himself bed-worthy.

Another minute passed.

Finally, the light flicked off. She sighed in relief, hearing another mattress groan nearby as the figure of Reno flopped lazily on top. To ensure her safety she waited almost another minute longer, silently praying that Genesis hadn't lost interest and disconnected the call already.

Quickly, the uncovered her phone and pressed the speaker to her ear.

"Still there?" She whispered timidly, feeling rather impolite to keep him waiting so long.

"Of course," Genesis spoke softly, smiling to himself a little.

"…oh, good," she replied quietly, feeling rather relieved. "Sorry about that."

"Not at all," he murmured.

Eager to keep talking despite the late hour, Cissnei kept the covers over herself but propped her pillow up on the headboard of the bed, attempting to get comfortable. "So how was your Christmas?"

"Apart from Sephiroth watching me like a _hawk_, it was more than favourable," Genesis contemplated, glad to have spent the evening enjoying time with his friends. _But if you were there…it would have been so much…better_.

"See any family at all?" She inquired curiously.

"No. My parents are my only direct relations, and I see them often enough at ShinRa - they take business trips to Midgar from Banora every once in a while. " He replied casually, "…I'm sorry you didn't, though."

"Don't be concerned," Cissnei mumbled shyly, "it was nice to have some headspace, anyway. It _is_ possible to have too much Reno."

"Indeed," Genesis chuckled gently.

"Anyway," she continued, "what did you do? With your friends?"

"We spent the time in our apartment, really. As you know, I left briefly to obtain some wine - with little difficulty despite our encounter, let me assure you. Angeal was the dominant man in the kitchen while Sephiroth and I acted as helpers so we could get a good Christmas dinner. And it _was _good_, _if I may say so. After that, Angeal spent over an hour talking on the landline to his _mother_, while I was kept like a slave in the kitchen to make sure all was spotless." Genesis finished his summary of the days events with a dramatic flourish in his tone, sounding rather offended at the indignity of being forced to hand wash every single article they used in cooking preparations.

Cissnei smothered a giggle by shoving her face into her pillow, rather amused by his theatrical overreactions to such trivial events. "How _terrible_! You poor thing!"

"It was indeed _very bad_," he agreed in a feigned solemn tone, trying to suppress the smirk that was evidently forming on his face.

The two remained silent for a few seconds, but the moment was short-lived as each in turn lost themselves to hushed laughter.

"But next time should be better," Genesis added after their amusement had calmed. "You'll be with me."

Cissnei found herself blushing. "You'd invite me over?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Genesis murmured softly, "I don't want to have you alone again for _another _Christmas. It shouldn't have to be like that."

"That's very kind of you," she whispered, her voice shy, "I would really enjoy that."

"You're more than welcome, my Cissnei." He smiled.

She yawned.

"I'm not keeping you up, am I?" He asked with real concern, not wishing to force her awake just for his own desires.

Cissnei clamped her jaw shut. "No, no, you're not. Stop worrying," she assured.

"If you're sure…" he trailed off, his expression one of unease.

"I'm very-" she held back another yawn, "very sure, Gen."

He half smiled at her determination. "Well, let me cut to the real reason that I called you: shall I explain the mysteries behind the fourth act of LOVELESS?"

She smiled in gratitude. "I would like that very much."

"As you wish," he murmured in a soft voice. "_My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honour remains. The arrows has left the bow…of the goddess._"

Cissnei felt her cheeks turn a light shade of pink at the sound of his gentle voice, the way he recited the poetry with such grace and dedication; how the words rolled off his tongue so smoothly, like velvet. As he continued his short recitation she slipped her pillow down beneath her head and snuggled into her covers, adjusting the PHS against her ear.

"…_of sacrifice, at world's end. The wind sails over the water's surface…quietly, but surely._" Genesis finished the last words softly, his voice tender and alluring. "LOVELESS, Act IV. As I understand you've read the play's transcript that coincides with the poem, yes?"

"Mm," she mumbled a reply.

"I must admit I found this particular act quiet a challenge to understand at first, you know," he murmured in contemplation, "but since this act is not usually included within the modern productions, many scripts are not accurate in terms of matching with the interpretations of the scholars."

Cissnei felt her eyelids beginning to droop - his voice…it was so…_nice._ Yes - that was the word for it.

"So you see, my belief is that during this part of the story, the protagonist, that is, the prisoner, encounters one of his friends of the oath, and the two challenge each other to a duel…" Genesis trailed off softly, aware that his gentle words were sending her to slumber - that was his intention, after all.

"It is unknown how such a duel would end, since the last act of the fabled LOVELESS has been, tragically, lost," he continued. "But as to how one derives the fact that a battle will ensue is down to the first few lines of the stanza - '_my friend, the fates are cruel_," already implies that something undesirable has been fated between the two friends. It then goes on to say, '_there are no dreams, no honour remains_,' which therefore entails that there is no sense, or a disagreement of honour about this fight, seeing as it has come down to a duel between those who were once friends. It is, sadly, quite unfortunate."

"…it is…" Cissnei strained to murmur, completely entranced by the gentle, flowing nature of his voice as he explained the first few lines of the act.

From there, Genesis quietly continued on in his explanation, occasionally checking her awareness and usually receiving a mumble in reply. Not that he minded, of course.

"…'_the wind sails over the water's surface - quietly, but surely_,' - and so, the act is finished, and we are left to wonder what is to be expected from the 'gift of the goddess' - destruction, or complete salvation for those who seek it, and the fate of the duellers. Very little is known from this point onwards, and I'm afraid it is only left up to speculation of those who choose to study the epic, like myself. I am one to believe the gift should bring salvation but at a great cost - hence, '_legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end,_'. But," Genesis paused, chuckling lightly, "I shall spare you from my endless theories that stem from this act, otherwise we may be here all night."

He hardly received a response from Cissnei, save for the barely audible sigh she breathed in sleepy recognition.

"It's alright, shh…" Genesis whispered tenderly, "sleep now, my sweet Cissnei…"

He began to sing a gentle melody, absent in words but beautiful in sound, even so when coming though the speaker of a PHS into the young Turk's ear. An involuntary tingle darted through her spine at the perfect quality of his voice, and the bare realisation that he was _singing to her_ - singing her to sleep.

It was the last sound, flawless and sweet, that her ears registered before she drifted off and lost consciousness.

_

* * *

Hiss!_

Scalding water streamed down in torrents, squeezing through the miniscule holes of the showerhead and bouncing off her shoulders in tiny droplets, soaking her entire person. The steam produced was immense, wafting all around her body in tendrils of white mist that clouded all thought processes running through her brain with pure satisfaction. Here, she was capable of losing herself in the depths of her exceedingly hot shower and drowning all thoughts of certain events that had preceded her awakening.

Such events that had greatly impacted her self-consciousness.

_No. Think about something else, think about something else…_

It was seven in the morning, still dark on the towering heights of the Midgar plate as the sun continued to rise above, tainting the city with weak rays that struggled to travel through the choking pollution. The sky, as Cissnei noted through the translucent bathroom window and heavy steam, was still an inky black, giving her plenty of time to gather her wits before her temporary roommate, Reno, emerged from his sleep.

For this, she was extremely thankful, as in that moment as she was lathering herself with soap, her mind slipped as her thoughts strayed to the tune she was subconsciously trying to recall - the one that a certain charismatic SOLDIER had lulled her to sleep with.

Cissnei bit her lip, her mind awash with confusion - perhaps too much steam?

_No, no…how silly of you, Cissnei. You just need to approach this rationally, don't panic - you have realised that you are, as they say, 'in love'. You need time to adjust, to-_

She let out a hushed growl through her teeth, clamping down on the frenzied thoughts running through her weary brain. _Focus on the present - you are having a shower._

_And you _will_ enjoy it._

And so she tried to, reasoning with herself that she would sort out her rather uncharacteristic symptoms of attraction _after_ she was done washing.

It didn't proceed very well.

About ten minutes later, the young Turk was seated on the edge of the bed located in the guest's room, wrapped in a fluffy towel with the door closed and locked as she chose her garments for the day. Abruptly pulling her out of her search was a quiet buzz, although as to its location she was unsure.

Wait.

_Oh, of course…_

Mumbling to herself through her vague embarrassment, her hand searched for her PHS that was conveniently located underneath her pillow, still flipped open as evidence of her previous usage in the small hours of the morning. Fortunately it was only one vibration, indicating it was merely a message and not a call - she wasn't really in a fit state for talking to _him_ at the moment.

Just as she was expecting, the screen specified the message was from none other than _Genesis Rhapsodos_, simply stating, 'Morning, Ciss.'.

"Good morning," she mumbled dryly at her phone, completely aware that she was not connected to any calls. Goddess, if she could just have time to sort through her _feelings_ right now…

Dismissing her dilemma for the time being, the off duty Turk quickly dressed and ran a brush through her dripping locks, satisfied to let them dry normally to preserve their natural wavy state. Even if those actions would mean her hair would remain wet for a large majority of the day due to the freezing temperatures outside. _Cissnei, it's just Reno. He won't care if your hair looks like you just stepped out of a hurricane. It's your Boxing day, your holidays - do what you want._

Cissnei let out a disheartened sigh. _Since when did I need such self-assurance?_

Oh.

Well.

She _was_ a Turk, a position which required highly analytical skills - and mix that with her newfound feelings of affection…

It was bound to produce unpredictable results - perhaps being in love caused one to feel much more aware of themselves?

Cissnei shrugged - perhaps that was the case. But right now, it was her decision to put herself into a relaxed state of mind and sort through her nagging issues and qualms one at a time, making practical use of her intelligence regarding the analysis of situations.

Firstly, the main 'issue' - love.

She was in love. With SOLDIER 1st Class, Genesis Rhapsodos. This, she concluded, had been established well and truly by now - she had kissed him _twice_, hugged him, even spoken the words of confession - 'I love you,' to his face…

Second issue - her…imaginings?

Her mind had been rather disobedient as of late, producing romantic fantasies that both elated her yet made her feel rather embarrassed at the same time - but this wasn't the key concern. The real trouble started when he, Genesis, started _fulfilling them_ - whispering LOVELESS in her ear in that tender voice of his…and - she swallowed - singing her to sleep, among other things.

At this stage in her sorting Cissnei lost her focus and giggled loudly, flopping backwards onto the bed - suddenly feeling like a regular teenager lost in the excitement of first love, not an overly mature orphan working for a giant mega corporation that dominated the _entire world_.

Nonetheless she needed, and did come to the proper realisation of how incredibly _romantic_ that was - taking the time in which he should have been sleeping and using it to sing her a beautiful melody straight from his wonderful heart…

Apparently love also made her blind - blind to everything but just how _amazing_ he was - in this state of mind everything about him was just perfect, from his appearance to his soul. It seemed her education about taking caution with everyone she made an acquaintance with was completely blown out the window, wasn't it?

But right now, that didn't matter _one single bit_.

_You know, I think I've made some progress. I _love_ him, and you know what? _

_He loves me._

_And there's nothing wrong with that. _

Cissnei smiled broadly, hugging a pillow to her chest as she finally allowed herself to completely enjoy the love that she was experiencing - for the first time this affection felt normal, like a true part of herself that had finally been completed.

_Okay, now you're just getting dramatic.__You still need to keep a calm and collected attitude about this, and take it slowly. Love is still new to you, but gladly not to him - perhaps he'll teach you._

Even so, with her renewed confidence, she found herself emitting a long sigh.

If only she were able to release her pent up confusions and wonderings about love to _girl_ instead of just herself - isn't that what other girls did with each other? _I'm sure that's where the encouragement, assurance and advice comes from…no wonder others around my age have much more confidence._

Oh, and had actual parents and weren't physically and mentally hardened by their harsh upbringings. That would account for her inexperience in many emotional aspects she wasn't exposed to - see case 'love'.

But…really, she was like a young bird - opening her wings for the first time and testing the air - testing the world that she was so hidden from during her upbringing.

One day, she would fly - and freedom would be hers.

* * *

A/N: Okayokay, so maybe not the most original chapter title in the world, but it fits! C'mon, first Gen was reciting poetry, then he _sang to her,_ and then Cissnei dies from happiness the next day. All meanings of the word 'rhapsody' 8D And it wasn't planned, m'kays?

ANYWAY GENESIS SINGING TO HER WAS SO SWEEEET.

Ahh. I really loved writing that bit. -flail-

And I'm very sorry if Cissnei's confused ramblings confuses you like it did her…but I wanted to show how girls go through these kinds of thoughts when in love for the first time. XD;

Anyway, I have all of Chapter 10 planned out!

I GIVES YOU A HINT - FIREWORKS.

The end :3. Until next time!

- Lioneh


	10. Eve

A/N: Okay, wow! Long time, no update. Sorry guys… but be happy! This one is one and a half times longer than normal! Nearly 4000 words…wow… -faint- Anyway, do enjoy! I LOVE THIS CHAPTER. -squeals and bounces off- (And yes…I am including dates now. Check previous chapters for dates soon, I need to add them… :3)

**Disclaimer: Anything to do with Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei, Reno or Final Fantasy VII belongs entirely to Square Enix.**

Kyle is mine. |D

* * *

'_Imaginings of You'_ - Chapter 10

Eve  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_27__th__ of December_

_1999_

_An office somewhere within the restricted levels of the ShinRa building._

_- - -_

_Paper, paper, oh, wait, that's a card…paper, oops - a pen…paper…more paper…ooh, my boarding room keys, a paperclip, ah, _more_ paper…_

This, unfortunately, was the colourful first day back for all employees under the contract of ShinRa Electric Power Company, and most suffered from copious amounts of paperwork - and this did not exclude the Investigation Division of the Department of General Affairs, more commonly known as the Turks. This division, coinciding with the SOLDIER department, were so lucky enough to be on their lunchbreaks at the present time - well, _most_ were.

Cissnei, on the other hand, found herself beyond help as she tried to sort through the unnecessary folders, sleeves and piles of various forms, notices and letters that had been set out in preparation for the new year. Ten minutes had already elapsed in her designated lunch break and she was therefore quite alone on the floor reserved for the Turks, the only sound breaking the silence and shuffling of paper being the clock situated on the wall. _Tick, tock. Tick, tock. _

All other Turk members had decided to be easy on themselves for the first day and had gradually departed, but _never _Cissnei - she was always trying to stay ahead of everyone else. After all, she _was_ the youngest Turk currently in their division and she wanted to keep a good impression going. However, the term 'workaholic' edged into her mind as the suspicion most were contemplating_. _She wasn't terribly sure if she approved of such a stereotype.

_Please don't tell me that's anoth- yuck. Spoke too soon, another OHS form… and what's that? 'Rules regarding the use of the company elevators'? Reno will never learn his lesson - I would have thought Rude would have been a better influence…_

A hesitant knock came from the other end of the room where the door to the office was located.

"Not now…" Cissnei hissed underneath her breath, shifting another form aside - aha! _I knew my desk was hiding under here _somewhere…

"…Cissnei?"

The voice _should_ have registered bells of elation inside her brain at that very second, but in her concentration the tone was muffled and distorted beyond her current recognition abilities.

"I'm busy!" She hollered across the room in annoyance, just wishing for peace so she could finish the job and still have some time for lunch - maybe they'd have some lasagne left…

Left to her thoughts again as the weary Turk sifted through the dwindling pile, relief beginning to tingle through her as she began to sort the last few forms. _Oh…a form for a new training program? Sounds interesting, I wonder-_

"Cissnei…"

Tender arms slowly wrapped around her shoulders from behind, the touch warm and gentle as fingers danced about the russet waves of hair in front of her ears. Cissnei felt her breath leave her in a rush as she tilted her head upwards slightly, the presence behind her all too familiar.

"Surely you can spare a moment?" Genesis murmured, pressing his lips down in a kiss on the top of her head.

"Y-yes, of course I can," she stammered in reply, a giddy joy rushing through her as he hugged her tighter in response.

"Wonderful," he whispered in her ear, breathing softly down her neck.

As a natural response to these antics Cissnei blushed, secretly glad that it was just the two of them - otherwise they could never share such a close…and breathtaking proximity.

Genesis, sensing her heightened emotions, chuckled lightly and stepped backwards, untwining his arms from her shoulders.

"Here." The SOLDIER slipped a hand into his pocket, closing his hand around a piece of A4 paper that was folded into thirds. Removing said parchment from the recesses of his red leather coat, Genesis gently took hold of Cissnei's right hand and pressed the document into her palm. "It's for you."

Her curiosity flared up at the sight of the quality paper, and so she quickly proceeded to unfold the parchment and read the contents.

"Genesis…" she gasped, looking up at him with wonder. "Are you…I can't really have this, can I?"

"Like I said," Genesis smirked, leaning his head down and planting a soft kiss on her cheek, "it's for you."

Cissnei, lost in disbelief, stared at the gorgeous, carefully handwritten summary of the contents of LOVELESS, Act IV - the flowing words almost looked like professional calligraphy.

"Don't worry yourself," he smiled, "it's all up here regardless." Genesis playfully tapped an index finger to his temple. "Besides, I knew you were too close to slumber to properly understand my explanation…"

At this, the Turk reddened further.

Genesis chuckled. "It's between us - don't stress. It seems like you've been doing enough of that as it is." He motioned to the papers neatly divided into piles on her desk.

"You have no idea…" she murmured, rolling her eyes.

"We at SOLDIER have our fair share too, sadly," the redhead sighed, fingering a strand of Cissnei's hair.

"Seems to be the bane of about everyone's existence at the dawn of the new year," Cissnei contemplated, having gathered this from bits and pieces of gossip from other fellow Turks and employees.

"Well, perhaps a few end of year celebrations may lighten the load?" He inquired, contemplating how to word the rest of his request.

"Maybe…" Cissnei trailed off, confusion invading her mind at what Genesis was implying.

"How about," the SOLDIER began with hesitation, "you and I…why don't we meet to watch the fireworks for New Years Eve? I don't know, maybe we could have dinner first, then…"

"You mean…on a date?" Cissnei confirmed, trying to suppress the joy she was feeling - a _date!_ The very thought was enough to send her into inner spasms of happiness at the mere romantic implications it had.

"That's one word for it," Genesis smiled, his expression one of hope as he gazed down at her. "You aren't busy, are you?"

"Oh no, not _me,_" Cissnei giggled, "I never have been on New Years Eve."

"So you can?" He pushed gently, desperate to spend more time with her.

"I would love to, Genesis."

That was when she stood up, gently kicked the chair away and kissed him again, right on the lips.

* * *

"Gen…I- I really can't let you pay for _all_ of-"

"Ah-" Genesis interrupted, intentionally cutting her off.

"No, I really mean it-"

"Cissnei." He touched two fingers to her lips, silencing her with care. "You are too concerned with the monetary issues here, hmm? It would be my honour to take ownership of the cost."

The Turk narrowed her eyes in a glare, despite her cheeks turning a shade of embarrassed pink.

Unfortunately, the expression produced was quite cute in the SOLDIER's opinion.

"Relax." Genesis soothed, sliding his fingers from her lips and trailing them over her delicate cheeks, quite enjoying the sensation of her smooth skin underneath his hand. He was undoubtedly sure Cissnei would be thinking the same.

He was right, of course - Cissnei's expression softened to one of temporary bliss.

"Now," he murmured, "what would you, Cissnei, like for dessert?"

Cissnei, meanwhile, was busy trying to _restart her mind_, feeling as if her own synapses were shorting out at his ever so careful touch to her face. The best response she could give at the present time was along the lines of 'umm.'

"Last of the great decision makers, hey?" Genesis chuckled.

"I'm _thinking_," she retorted, giving him a playful nudge, "let me see that menu."

"Of course." Genesis slipped the list of desserts into her hand.

_Yes! Some stalling time!_ Cissnei was eternally thankful for the minute in which she had to gather her wits again. All evening, that Genesis had been rather, although unknowingly, _distracting_ - first he had to go to the trouble of looking even more gorgeous than normal, even dressed up in a casual wear of jeans, boots, belts and a red leather jacket to complete the attire. _Then_ he had to take her to one of the more upmarket restaurants located in Sector 7, specialising in the cuisine of the Mideel region - she had deduced he had chosen this simply because it shared culture with his hometown, Banora. The childish delight she had seen spread across his face as he scanned the menu was something that seemed a little uncharacteristic for such a well established militant, but it was…rather cute, actually.

Cissnei gave herself a mental slap - _you're sorting out your emotions right now, don't go elaborating on them all over again. If at all, do that later._

Then, for the rest of the evening, he had subtly romanced her in numerous ways - take for example, kissing her cheek when they first sat down. Or sliding an arm around her shoulder in their brief conversations. Or playing with her hair. She inwardly smiled - the list went on.

"Has the almighty _Turk _made up her mind yet?" Genesis pondered with an element of drama in his voice, smirking as Cissnei dutifully scanned the menu. And, unknowingly to him, sorted her brain.

With barely enough time to rein in her emotions, Cissnei was wrenched from her own thoughts back into reality. She really needed to get a better handle on her adaptations to romantic life. _Stop _analysing_ everything and just - go with it. Enjoy it. Take the risk, for crying out loud!_

"An iced chocolate." She at last concluded, a hint of finality in her voice. "Oh, with cream."

"Can't forget the cream," Genesis nodded in a mocking solemn tone, smirking shortly thereafter.

"And what is the _almighty SOLDIER_ having, pray tell?" Cissnei probed.

"Apple pie." Genesis smiled, reminiscing his childhood. "Oh, and with cream." He turned his head, winking at her.

Impulsively the blood rushed to her cheeks. Cissnei cringed inwardly, wishing it wasn't such an automatic response to his romantic tactics, however aware of them he was.

"Stop that," Genesis grinned, "…it makes you look too cute."

"And is that a bad thing?" She pressed, trying out her own playful responses.

"Of course not," he smirked, resisting the opportunity to kiss her, as much as he would've liked. Besides, she _had_ been blushing an awful lot, and as _adorable_ that was, he didn't want to push the situation of their feelings further right now.

An impatient cough to their left made both Genesis and Cissnei look upwards, subtly dampening their flirtatious banter.

"Anything else tonight?" The waiter mumbled, obviously not trying hard to put on a warm expression.

Genesis supposed he was disappointed being stuck at work when he wanted to be drinking in the local pub with his friends, ending up so drunk the evening would be a blur and he wouldn't even remember the experience anyway.

But that was just an assumption.

"Yes, thankyou…Kyle," Genesis replied curtly, reading his name tag, "we'll take an iced chocolate and a slice of the apple pie. I trust it was made using authentic Banora Whites?"

"Yes," the waiter - Kyle - muttered with slight irritation - _some _people were just too picky. "Is that all?"

"No, wait - don't forget the cream with both orders," Genesis added, glancing at Cissnei with an obvious sheepish expression on his handsome face.

"It'll be a few minutes." Kyle mumbled, scribbling down their orders on his handy pad and trudging away.

"Wasn't he _cheerful_?" Genesis grumbled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Maybe he was jealous." Cissnei giggled, happy to say whatever she felt - _just go with it, right?_

"Perhaps he was," the SOLDIER smirked, "after all, seeing such a pretty girl like yourself already taken…"

"Now _you_ stop that," Cissnei laughed, unfortunately feeling her cheeks flaring up, "or I'll be stuck with a beetroot face for the rest of my existence."

"Oh," Genesis winced, "but couldn't you use a more eloquent word to describe it? I'll need some kind of nicer way to illustrate the effect since I'm going to see it everyday. What about, 'rosy?' Or-"

"Oh _you,_" Cissnei gave his arm a playful slap, smiling widely.

"You know you love it," the SOLDIER smirked, twining his arm around her shoulders in a side hug.

"Need I interrupt you _lovebirds_ again?" The familiar voice of Kyle, yet for another time, was hanging over their heads like a cloud, discouraging their mood. "Order's up." The waiter first took the iced chocolate, which was topped with sweet whipped cream, and set it down in front of Cissnei. He proceeded the same way with the apple pie, this time placing the dish under Genesis' attentive nose.

As Kyle stepped away to the kitchens, Genesis was in bliss, inhaling the sweet aroma of the homemade apple pie before him, inner child rejoicing.

"Smell good?" Cissnei giggled, interrupting the SOLDIER's short-lived pleasure.

"Wonderful," he breathed, before taking hold of his spoon and digging in with care. "Bit skimpy on the cream here…thanks _Kyle_…"

The Turk's mouth quirked in a smile as she sampled her own dessert, enjoying the pleasant flavour of chocolate mixed in with sweet notes of vanilla ice cream through her straw. She leaned her head down a little, completely oblivious to the fact that her nose had dipped slightly into the high mountain of whipped cream atop her glass.

A few minutes passed in silence as the two happily enjoyed their sweet desserts, simply taking the time to feel pleasure in the company of each other. All was going smoothly in this process until Genesis pointed out something quite embarrassing.

"There's cream on your nose."

"What?"

Cissnei's eyes crossed in curiosity as she tried to focus on the tip of her nose, seeing a blurry tuft of white in the middle of her vision. "Oh."

Just as she reached a finger to wipe it away, Genesis gently closed his hand around her wrist, preventing her from continuing. "Hold on."

"Why?"

"Stay still."

Leaning forward, Genesis tilted his head downwards, pressing his lips delicately in a kiss, right on the tip of her nose. In that moment Cissnei let out a surprised gasp, at a loss for words.

"There." Genesis stated simply, leaning back and licking the cream off his lips with a knowing smile.

Cissnei stared at him for a moment, giving him a quizzical blink.

Both then proceeded to lose themselves to fits of hushed giggles and laughter.

* * *

"Here, allow me."

Genesis laced his delicate hand around her wrist, enabling her to scramble up the ledge with his pulling efforts. Once on top the SOLDIER then helped Cissnei to her feet, smirking to himself as she turned to take a look at the view.

"W-wow," she breathed, seeing the heights of the ShinRa building sprawling up into the sky above, the entire building visible at their distance from the premises. "How did you know about-"

"Here?" Genesis finished for her, a smile playing on his face. "Me and Angeal, when we were in our younger SOLDIER years…well, we enjoyed exploring when we were children, and it didn't wear off even when we were teenagers. So you can image once we arrived in Midgar, we were itching to look into every nook and cranny the city had to offer. Thus," he paused, surveying the view before him, "we discovered this particular spot."

"On a group of inconspicuous rooftops in Sector 8." Cissnei mused, "how unlikely."

"Indeed it was, but when time was in our hands we couldn't resist," he replied, his lips pulling into a smirk.

"Clearly, since it took at least fifteen minutes to climb the pathways, stairs _and_ ledges to arrive here," the Turk feigned annoyance, giggling shortly after to assure him she didn't mean it.

"Well, if you happen to be tired, you're more than welcome to sit down," he offered politely, lowering himself down and swinging his legs over the brink of the ledge they had just arrived from.

"Oh _alright,_ 'oh mako-enhanced one'," Cissnei teased, slipping down into a sitting position beside him and placing one leg over the other. "Quite a distance up, aren't we?"

"About four storeys." Genesis replied casually, as if were a simple step to the ground.

Cissnei went quiet.

"Don't worry. I can jump five."

"W…what? I wasn't worrying about…" she trailed off, seeing the smug expression radiating from his features. "…oh, you show-off," she nudged him, laughing.

"Never mind you, _youngest of the Turks_," Genesis retorted, smirking. "And did I catch the term 'workaholic' from your colleagues?"

Cissnei froze. "They really _do_ call me that, don't they?" She emitted a groan.

Genesis chuckled lightly, his arm twining around her narrow shoulders. "Don't worry. I've been called worse, believe me."

She managed a smile, her eyes reaching his. "I won't, then."

"That's better," he flashed her a grin, giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

Cissnei gave a shy nod, gazing into his eyes momentarily before she slipped her body lower and slowly nestled into his warm chest. His strong heart pulsed gently in her ear, increasing in tempo as she closed her eyes. _Wait…it's faster…_

Genesis curved his lips upwards in a gentle smile, cradling her with his left arm as she shifted her weight and snuggled below his shoulder. His mind wandered as he held her, eyes searching the skies above as the occasional star winked in the inky heavens.

On the outside she seemed…so fragile, docile, quiet - like a baby bird, vulnerable to the hostile world beyond. But beneath that she was strong, spirited and determined; she could handle almost any situation with skill and maturity - and to him, all that was…beautiful. About the only thing she was overwhelmed by were her feelings towards him, and even then she was reining them quite well by now. Or so he thought.

"Gen…"

Startled from his own personal imaginings, Genesis quickly brought his attention back to Cissnei.

"Mm?" He murmured.

"You're comfy."

"And you're beautiful," he whispered in her ear, bringing her closer.

Cissnei breathed in deeply, heat flooding her cheeks as a reaction to his close, wonderful proximity. But he really _was_ comfy - she couldn't deny that one bit. Especially since it was rather cold in their location…

"I'm not keeping you up…am I?" Genesis inquired, his voice soft.

Cissnei giggled, her shoulders shaking slightly. "No, you're not."

"Well, let me know if you get tired," he replied calmly, "it's only just before ten o'clock."

"I won't," she murmured, just as peaceful, "because I want to stay awake, to be with you."

Genesis gave a smile at her quiet determination, then gently rested his head on hers, inhaling the sweet aroma of her hair.

"I have made an interesting discovery," he breathed.

"Which may be?" Cissnei whispered, clueless.

"Your hair smells very nice, you know." Genesis buried his nose in her soft hair again, breathing in. Not surprisingly, he heard her giggle.

"Hey, Gen, that tickles…" she laughed.

The SOLDIER dropped a kiss on her head. "That better?"

To his surprise, the young Turk wriggled herself upwards so she was able to look at him directly in the eyes, a playful smile dancing on her lips. Then, she reached forward, inching her neck as she gave him a soft peck on the lips.

"That might be."

"As you wish," Genesis whispered calmly, touching two fingers beneath her chin and tilting her head upwards. Instinctively Cissnei brought her eyelids down, closing her eyes as the SOLDIER lowered his handsome face to her level. He gently touched his delicate lips against her own, softly caressing her cheek with his fingertips as he slowly moved his mouth with hers.

Following her heart instead of her mind, Cissnei slipped a hand around the back of his neck, hardly feeling his silky tresses trailing over her skin through the overwhelming feelings of kissing. She was absolutely lost in him, never to be found again as their passionate contact continued, kisses slow and meaningful. Time became nothing to the pair of them, everything seemed endless - and neither was ready to stop any time soon.

As Genesis cupped her chin more securely, caressing her lips with his own - an untimely interruption was at hand.

A phone was ringing, but the sound was far off, as if it were out of place in their enclosed space of attraction. _Mine…or hers?_

Much to his displeasure Cissnei was the first to ease up, breathing accelerated as she paused in their kiss, her hand still weaving through his soft hair behind his neck. Looking regretful she used that same hand to retrieve her PHS, slipping it back from his head and shoving it into a pocket, pulling out a sleek black phone. Wordlessly she snapped it open and put the device to her ear.

"What?" She mumbled nervously into the receiver, her mind a complete mess after- after kissing him.

"Hoooww ya doin'?" A raucous voice slurred back, obviously that idiot _Reno_. "Howsa that date goin'?"

Cissnei felt her already pink face redden further. "Fine."

"Got 'ny goss'?" He abbreviated poorly, an unseen dopey grin on his face.

"No."

"Aww, you suck, Cissneii…" he mumbled, clearly drunk to the eyeballs.

"I'll talk to you later," she fumbled, quickly disconnecting the call and turning her phone off. _Just to be safe_…

"You alright?" Genesis murmured quietly, his arm still entwined around her shoulder. He had heard everything that drunken Turk had blurted regardless.

"I couldn't…quite…say that, really…I'm a lot of things," she breathed, heart racing. "Genesis, I…"

"…yeah?" He encouraged softly, massaging her tense shoulders.

"…I don't know," she sighed emphatically, sliding downwards and resting her head in his lap, looking fatigued. "It's just you."

"Me?" Genesis gave her a quizzical glance, a half smile curving his lips.

"You," she concluded, turning her head to enable herself to view his rather pretty eyes from below. She crossed her arms and swung a leg over the other, sinking her head back into his comforting lap. "Oh, and me."

"Us," Genesis murmured, trailing a hand over her soft cheek, "and most certainly not Reno."

"That _idiot_," she muttered, irritated yet amused at his unfortunately impeccable timing - perhaps it was for the better, though_.._ 'Don't worry, Gen…I'm okay."

His smile broadened as he gazed down at her, glad at her confirmation that they could share a level of intimacy like that now.

"Love you," he whispered, gently touching some hair away from her forehead.

"You too," she replied kindly, reaching his free hand and lacing her fingers through his momentarily, then letting go.

Carefully, the esteemed SOLDIER then lowered his head, his locks of chestnut hair brushing her features as he touched his lips to her forehead in a kiss. Cissnei smiled deeply in response, warmth streaking her cheeks as she closed her eyes, entranced by his pleasant company. She would freely spend the rest of her days like this forever, were it not for the duties of life that busied her so…

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"Genesis?"

"Mm?"

"Did it hurt?"

"Did…what hurt?"

"When you became a SOLDIER. Was it painful?" Cissnei pondered quietly, curious. It wasn't a question she had been sitting on…it just occurred to her, thinking about their jobs, their dedications in life.

"How sudden," Genesis chuckled, turning his head to the heavens. "Well…you understand that we are enhanced with mako, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Alongside that we also get a series of injections, including many physical examinations and tests. It's difficult to say…" He trailed off in thought, a distant look in his faintly glowing eyes.

"The needles may have been, but the endurance trials were quite tiresome to the body," he mused. "The mako showers weren't exactly 'painful', but - well, they messed with your mind, your consciousness. Candidates who couldn't cope with that…didn't usually make it into our ranks. My experience…well…" he chuckled, turning to look down at her again, "I hallucinated, to put it simply."

"Hallucinated what?" She smirked, suspicion rising.

"I'll give you one insight, okay?" He held up a finger, "just one. While undergoing my mako exposure, I was convinced my supervising scientists were not what they seemed - I imagined they were…they were…"

Cissnei rolled her eyes as the SOLDIER lost himself to laughter. "I'm _waiting,_" she said pointedly.

"Of course, of course," he smirked, "I was convinced they were, in fact, _deranged chocobos_. That's all you'll get."

"…deranged…chocobos?" She gawked, struggling not to giggle.

"I was _fifteen_," Genesis replied defensively, narrowing his eyes. "It was the mako talking, not me."

"Oh, _sure it was_, Gen. You've convinced me," Cissnei smirked, her shoulders hunched as she retained more laughter.

"But, to cut to your inquiry - becoming a SOLDIER wasn't terribly agonizing at all. It was more likely to be embarrassing." The redhead smiled wryly, absently rubbing her shoulder.

"Alright then," Cissnei trailed off, her mind searching for another random question to ask him, "have you ever seen a dolphin?"

"What?" He laughed.

"I mean it," she pouted, staring up at him.

"Well, yes - Banora is a coastal village. Not directly along the beach, but on a cliff side next to the ocean."

"I never have." Cissnei stated simply, "so I was just curious."

"Are there…" Genesis trailed off, wondering whether he was allowed to touch on personal ground yet, "a lot of things…you haven't seen?"

The Turk remained quiet for a minute, shifting her body so that she was leaning next to him again.

"Yes."

Genesis let his expression turn sympathetic, his facial features softening. "I'm sorry."

"Well, I'm still young," she murmured, her eyes not meeting his.

"But…does not knowing…scare you?" He murmured, his gaze soft.

"No…wait-" she cut herself off, obviously reminding herself that 'no' wasn't true - until now she believed the outside world beyond Midgar was nothing to fear, but what she didn't realise was that emotions could hold a lot more trepidation. "Yes."

"Mm…"

"Love scared me."

Genesis blinked, suddenly feeling like all his contact was too much for her.

"You changed that, Genesis."

Or not.

"Look at me now," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "By delving into the unknown, I found happiness. I found you."

At her touching words a blushed tinted his cheeks. "Cissnei-"

"And I think I could do it again," she smiled, "knowing that you'll be here."

A warm smile touched Genesis' face. "I shall always be, my Cissnei."

"Always."

* * *

A/N: -melts- Isn't he so romantic? WAAAAH. Lovelovelove.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while…I had this chapter sitting here for a week or so and I thought I ought to post it. So I did.

And now I'm happy.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! 8D

And don't worry, I do have plans for the next one…kinda…

- Lioneh


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